


Closer

by I_Am_Shameless



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Murder, Bad Parenting, Bullying, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Depression, Drug Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Gun Violence, Hurt Nathan, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Minor Character Death, Murder, Nathan being an asshole, Nathan eventually gets his shit together, Non-Graphic Violence, Partying, Past Child Abuse, Recreational Drug Use, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow build Nathan/Max, Spoilers, Teenage Rebellion, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Verbal Abuse, possible triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:06:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 86,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4487775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Am_Shameless/pseuds/I_Am_Shameless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite their hate for one another, Max decides to help Nathan when she learns the truth of what he's been up to and why. Though he doesn't want her help at first, Nathan realizes that she might just be exactly what he needs...In more ways than one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on AO3 and I'm pretty excited :p I'm nervous about the reception to this, seeing as how it's a Max/Nathan story. I know a lot of people hate him, but I couldn't get the idea for this out of my head.
> 
> I apologize if anything in this story triggers anyone or offends them. I also apologize if any character is OOC. 
> 
> This story may contain spoilers, so for anyone who hasn't played any of the episodes yet, I would suggest staying away from this. This takes place between episodes 3 and 4. 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

                                                                                         

Max knew that Nathan hated her. To him, she was nothing but a nosy little bitch that needed to be taken care of. But she didn’t know that he would take it this far, though she probably shouldn’t have been surprised.

As soon as she had entered her room after coming back from gathering the assignments she would need to complete while she was suspended, the door slammed shut and suddenly she was being pressed up against it by Nathan Prescott.

“You little bitch,” he growled. “Who the fuck do you think you are?!” His eyes were wild and his whole body was shaking with anger. Max had never really been afraid of Nathan, but now a part of her was.

“Let go of me, Nathan,” she said as calmly as she could, though her voice shook a little and she could tell that he noticed it too, if his smirk was anything to go by. He wanted her to be afraid.

“Not until we talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“About how you need to stay the fuck out of my business!” he snarled.

She could feel the rage radiating off of him. “I’ll scream,” she threatened.

Nathan’s eyes flashed. “I wouldn’t even try if I were you. You know who my family is. They practically own this fucking school and everyone here. Trust me, no one is gonna come running to help you.”

The fucked up part of it was that he was right. But that didn’t mean she was going to let him win.

“Kate tried to kill herself because of you,” she snapped. “Does that matter to you at all?”

His jaw tightened and a dark look passed over his face. “I had nothing to do with that.”

“You drugged her and then did god-knows-what! And then that video came out! She was bullied and humiliated and it’s all because of _you_ -!”

Nathan’s fist slammed into the door beside her head, causing her to jump and stop talking. He still looked angry, though there was no longer rage in his eyes. Instead there was…guilt? And pain? Was she starting to see things now, too?”

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” he growled in a low voice. “Why don’t you do yourself a favor and stay out of things you don’t understand.”

Max shook her head. “I can’t. Not after Kate.”

“You’ve already gotten me suspended! What the fuck more do you want?”

“I want the truth! And I want Kate to have justice! She deserves that much, don’t you think?” _Why are you telling him this, Max? Do you honestly expect him to come clean? He’d be sent to jail and his family’s perfect reputation would be destroyed._

“Fuck. Fine.” He ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Max blinked. “What?”

“Holy shit, are you deaf? Jesus Christ. I said fine! I’ll give you your fucking answers. Some of them, at least.”

“And why would you do that?” She asked suspiciously.

“Because,” he said in a low voice, “it’s obvious that you’re not gonna back the fuck off, and there are some things that I would rather tell you myself than have you find out on your own and start taking action against me without knowing the whole story.”

“Do you really think that’s going to change anything?” She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

He chuckled without any humor. “Knowing you, probably not.”

Max didn’t know whether that was meant as some kind of compliment or not. “So…are we gonna talk about this now?”

“Not now, idiot,” he snapped. “I have shit to do. Come to my dorm room tomorrow night after curfew. We’ll talk then.”

“Your dorm room? I would rather be somewhere more public.” There was no way in hell she would feel comfortable being alone with Nathan in his dorm room, and that was only because she knew what he was capable of.

“Do you really think I’m gonna discuss this shit where there are a lot of people around?” He scoffed and shook his head at her, as if he couldn’t believe how stupid she actually was.

“Do you really think I want to be alone with you in your room at night?” She shot back.

He glared at her for a moment, and then he suddenly smirked. “Why not? You afraid I’ll try something?” He stepped closer to her until his body was pressed up against hers. The smell of his cologne filled her nostrils, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

“N-no,” she stuttered, mind fogging over, “I just-I don’t trust you.” She didn’t even know what she was saying. His face was close to hers now, and combining that with his cologne and his body pressed against hers…It was doing something to her, and she wasn’t sure what, but she knew it wasn’t good. What was even worse was that he knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on her right now.

“Have you ever been alone with a guy before, Maxine?” He murmured, lips ghosting over her ear.

A jolt of excitement rushed through her body, and she immediately hated herself for it. “D-don’t call me that,” she snapped. “And get away from me.”

Nathan chuckled. “I can tell by the way your body is reacting that you want me to stay exactly where I am.” And then the bastard nipped at her earlobe.

“Nathan,” she moaned, closing her eyes. “Stop it.” What the hell was he doing to her?

“Don’t worry,” he laughed. “As if I would ever try to fuck you. You’re the last girl I’d wanna sleep with.” He pulled away from her and the spell was suddenly broken.

Max’s eyes flew open, realizing what had just taken place. Her cheeks began to redden and a sick feeling washed over her. She had just let Nathan Prescott…do something to her. And she wasn’t even sure what it was. All she knew was that there was an indescribable feeling in the pit of her stomach and a moment ago she hadn’t really wanted him to stop.  
This was the guy who shot her best friend, drugged Kate, beat up Warren, and probably did many other horrible things that she didn’t know about. What the fuck was wrong with her?

“Get out,” she hissed, moving aside to let him out.

His face turned into a sneer. “Gladly.” He threw opened the door, but before he could leave, he stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Don’t forget about tomorrow night.” And then he was gone.

Max breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door before nearly collapsing against it. So many thoughts were rushing through her mind.  
_Okay_ , _Max_ , she told herself, _don’t freak out. Don’t think about what just happened. You’re going to get information out of him. That’s all that matters_. She closed her eyes and shuddered. _And for the love of god, do not let him do that to you again!_

It didn’t occur to her until the next morning that she could have used her rewind power to stop it all from happening. But by then it was too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented on the first chapter. I really appreciated it :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

He fucked up.

He well and truly fucked up.

What the fuck was he thinking? He was going to tell Max Caulfield part of the truth? Not only was he specifically warned not to tell anyone, but he could also go to jail for this shit. Though, if it came down to it, he could always go with the insanity defense. He’d be locked away in some nut house, but at least he wouldn’t be forced to take it up the ass in jail.

With a groan, Nathan laid back on his bed and threw an arm over his eyes. He could always change his mind and not tell her anything. Hell, he could even make up a story that would satisfy her enough to get her off his back.

Oh, who the hell was he kidding? This was Max fucking Caulfield. No matter what he told her, she wouldn’t back off. Not when she knew he had something to do with Kate. Not when she saw him pointing a gun at that punk-ass bitch Chloe. Not with Rachel Amber missing.

_Max could always be the next victim…_

It was a tempting thought. Really fucking tempting. But deep down he knew he couldn’t do it. He already felt guilty enough about Kate and Rachel. And yeah, it probably wouldn’t be long before he was assigned another girl, but he wasn’t going to bring anyone to _him_ out of his own free will. Max Caulfield may be nosy and annoying, but she didn’t deserve _that._

A knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts. He sighed and got up to answer it, hoping Max hadn’t decided to come early.

“Victoria,” he greeted, relieved to see his best friend standing there and not Max, “what’s up?”

Victoria winked and moved past him into the room, making herself comfortable on his bed. “I thought I’d come visit you, seeing as how I didn’t see you in school today.”

“I’ve been suspended, remember?” He joined her on the bed. “All thanks to that stupid bitch Max Caulfield.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe she accused you of having a gun and drugging Kate. She’s totally out of her mind.”

 _Except she was telling the truth._ “Yeah, she is. I better not see her face again, or I swear I’ll-“

“Now, Nathan,” Victoria crooned, “don’t get yourself too worked up.” She smiled sweetly at him and ran a finger up his arm. “If you’re so stressed out, maybe I can help.”

He grinned back at her. It was funny, because everyone assumed that they were more like brother and sister, when in truth they would fuck the stress and pain out of one another when needed.

And right now he really fucking needed it.

 

* * *

 

“Earth to Max! Are you there?”

Max blinked and turned around in her seat at Chloe’s desk to look at her friend. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. I must have zoned out for a second.”

“Dude, you’ve been like this ever since you got here,” Chloe answered, slightly annoyed. “What’s up?”

Max wanted nothing more than to tell her best friend about what had happened last night with Nathan, but she knew that Chloe wouldn’t react well. Still, there was one question she needed to ask…

“Chloe, have you ever… _felt_ something in the pit of your stomach? Like when a guy does something to you?”

The question took the blue-haired girl by surprise, and it was a moment before she answered. “You mean, like, arousal?”

Arousal. So that’s what it was.

“Yeah, uh…never mind.” Max quickly turned back around and began to fiddle with her camera, cheeks flamed. She hoped that Chloe wouldn’t ask any questions, but of course she wasn’t that lucky.

“Why do you want to know? Is there someone who aroused you, Max?” Chloe playfully wiggled her eyebrows.

“Of course not! Don’t be ridiculous. It was just a question, that’s all.”

“It was definitely _not_ just a question. Come on, Max. Spill.”

_I want to, Chloe, but I know you would either go after Nathan or get really pissed at me for feeling the way I did last night. And I really, really don’t want you to be angry with me. Not when we’ve become so close again._

“It was Warren,” Max blurted out before she could stop herself. She felt ill at the thought of her other best friend making her feel anything sexual, but his name was the first that popped into her mind.

Chloe laughed. “Warren made you aroused? Seriously?”

Max shrugged. “Not on purpose. He was just really close to me, and uh…I guess my hormones went into overdrive or something.”

“I’m just kidding with you, dude. Trust me, I get it. Rachel used to make me feel the same way.”

Now it was Max’s turn to be surprised. “Wait, really? You and Rachel…?”

A sad look passed over Chloe’s face for a second, but it was gone just as fast. “Yeah. I mean, we kissed sometimes and I loved her, but we were never, you know, official or anything. I think it was because a part of her belonged to Frank, too.” She sighed. “Max, pass me the ashtray.”

Max grabbed it and handed it over to Chloe, who immediately laid down on her bed and lit the joint that was in it. It was silent for a few minutes as Chloe smoked and Max got lost in her thoughts again.

“Chloe,” she said finally, “Rachel loved you. I know I’ve never met her, but from what you’ve told me and what I’ve read…you were just as important to her.”

“I don’t want to talk about her anymore.” Chloe held the joint out to Max. “Here. You look like you need this just as much as I do.”

And Max really did, but she was hesitant. What if she needed to use her rewind power but couldn’t because she was high? What if she accidentally let it slip about Nathan?

“Come on, Max. It won’t kill you to loosen up a bit.”

“…Yeah. I guess you’re right.” Max took the joint from her and brought it to her lips and inhaled. A second later she began to cough violently. “That’s horrible!” She gasped.

Chloe laughed. “You get used to it after a while. Try again.”

Max shook her head. “Actually, I think I’m good.” She tried to give the joint back to Chloe, but the girl wouldn’t take it.

“We’ll try something else then. Have you ever heard of shotgun?” Max shook her head. “Basically I’ll take a hit off the joint and then I’ll press my mouth against yours. Then you’ll suck the smoke in.”

“We have to press our mouths together?” Max asked, eyes widening. “Chloe, I don’t think…I mean-“

“Relax, Max. It’s fine. I used to do this with Rachel all the time.”

 _But I’m not Rachel, Chloe._ “Okay. Sure.”

Chloe smiled and took back the joint. Max watched in slight amazement as the other girl inhaled as deeply as she could without coughing once.

“When did you even start smoking?” She asked. When she realized that the girl couldn’t answer, she blushed and said, “Right. Sorry.”

Chloe just rolled her eyes and made a _come here_ gesture with her index finger. Max immediately joined her on the bed, heart hammering when her best friend suddenly pressed her mouth against hers. The smoke filled her lungs and this time it wasn’t nearly as bad. She didn’t know if it was because Chloe was blowing smoke into her mouth instead of her actually puffing on the joint, or because she was too distracted by the fact that she was, in a way, kissing Chloe.

_At least I’m not getting that feeling from last night. I don’t know what if I would ever be able to look Chloe in the eyes knowing that she made me aroused._

Those were the last clear thoughts Max had. Ten minutes later her mind started to cloud over and it almost felt like the room was slowly spinning.

“Chloe,” she said slowly, “I think it worked.”

Chloe began to laugh. “I think it did too, Max. You look completely stoned right now.”

“I feel stoned.” Max paused. “Am I even speaking out loud right now?”

“You’re speaking out loud, dude. Don’t worry.” Chloe got up. “I’m gonna grab us some water. Don’t do anything funny while I’m gone.”

“Wait,” Max said, trying to stand up but failing miserably, “I’ll go with you.”

“Max, there’s no way you’re gonna be able to make it down the stairs. You can’t even stand up as it is.”

“I’ll…teleport?” Max began to giggle. “I’ll teleport! Oh, my god, Chloe, do you think I can teleport? Wait, what am I even saying? Am I even making sense? Wait, am I still speaking out loud?”

“…Remind me to never get you stoned again.”

Max just began to laugh even harder.

* * *

 

Nathan didn’t bother to open his eyes when he heard Victoria climb out of bed. “You leaving?”

“The girls and I are having a movie night in my room. Plus, I have to talk to Jefferson about picking my photo for the Everyday Heroes Photo Contest,” Victoria answered with a dramatic sigh. Such a busy life she led.

Nathan scoffed. “You honestly think Mark Jefferson is just gonna let you win the contest? Have you met the guy? He’s all about playing fair.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “I know that, but I’m hoping he’ll change his mind if I…threaten him a little.”

“Oh, yeah? What kind of threat?” Now his eyes were wide open.

She smirked. “If he doesn’t pick my photo, I’ll tell everyone that he offered to pick my photo for favors.”

If it was any other teacher, he wouldn’t give two shits about it. Hell, he’d even help her if she needed it. But this was Mark fucking Jefferson. The guy was cunning and dangerous. If Victoria wasn’t already on the list, she sure as fuck would be if she threatened him. Nathan cared about her too much to let that happen.

But he knew he couldn’t stop it.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” He asked casually. “What if he doesn’t take your threat seriously?”

Victoria put her shoes on and patted down her hair. “Then he’s an idiot.”

 _Victoria, you have no idea who you’d be going up against._ “Whatever. Have fun.”

“Always.” She blew him a kiss and grabbed her purse before leaving his room.

Nathan groaned and grabbed his cell phone to check the time. Max would be knocking on his door in a half hour if she had the balls to show up. There was no time to get high. He would need to be sober if he was going to spill some of his dirty little secrets.

“Better not keep me waiting, bitch,” he muttered. There were a bottle of pills just calling for him.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, when they both came down from their high, they laid on Chloe’s bed together, both munching on chips with dip.

“I had an awesome time today,” Chloe said with a small laugh, “even though you acted like a complete idiot.”

Max yawned and rubbed her eyes. “It was my first time getting high. Give me a break.”

“Yeah, well, if that’s how you’re gonna act every time, then no more weed for you.” Chloe said it in a way that told Max she wasn’t being serious. Maybe the girl wouldn’t admit it, but she was definitely glad to see a more fun side of Max.

“What was it like when you and Rachel smoked together?”

Chloe was quiet for a moment. “It was…peaceful, I guess. We would forget all about our problems for a little while and just talk about shit that didn’t even make sense and laugh together. The best moments were when we would just forget about the world. The only thing that mattered was that we were together.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “We have to get her back, Max.”

“We will,” Max assured her. “And we’ll help Kate.”

“And take down Nathan.”

“Shit! What time is it?” Max quickly sat up and began to frantically search for her phone.

Chloe took it out of her pocket and gave it to Max. “I confiscated it when you wanted to call the principle and bitch him out for suspending you.”

“Thanks for that.”

“What are best friends for, right? We stop each other from making asses out of ourselves. And what’s the rush? You’re already late for curfew. Just stay here tonight.”

“I can’t, Chloe. I-I promised I would help Warren with his science project.”

“A project, huh?” Chloe winked. “Right. Well, don’t let me get in the way.”

Max groaned. “He’s just my friend.”

“Try telling your hormones that.”

“I’ll text you later.” Max rushed out the door and ran down the stairs before Chloe could reply. She had to get to Nathan’s dorm _now._ Otherwise he might get angry and decide not to tell her anything.

 

 

By the time she got off the bus and ran all the way to the boys dorm, she was sweating and nearly out of breath. Luckily no one was around when she knocked on Nathan’s door. The last thing she needed was for someone to see her going into his room. Especially Warren.

On the fifth knock there was finally an answer. “Jesus Christ, hold on!” Nathan opened the door. “What the fuck-? Oh. It’s you.”

“I’m here,” Max said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And you’re late.”

“Technically you didn’t give me a specific time. You just said to be here after curfew.”

She was right, but it wasn’t like he was going to say that. “Just get in here.” He gestured for her to come into the room.

Max hesitated for a second, but then went into his room. Her eyes widened and she vaguely heard the door close behind her. Nathan’s room was…kind of awesome.

“I like your room,” she said lamely.

He snorted. “Thanks.”

“No, really. It’s cool.” _Can you sound any more like a total dork, Max?_

“It’s amazing what money can buy you, isn’t it?” He sat down on his bed. “Take a seat.”

It took Max a second to decide if she should sit on the couch or on his bed. The couch had adult magazines strewn across it, but did she really want to sit next to Nathan?

As if sensing her dilemma, Nathan smirked at her.

The couch it is, then.

“What, are you too afraid to sit next to me?” He teased her as she moved aside all of the junk on the couch. “Come on. I won’t bite too hard unless you ask me to.”

She sat down and glared at him. “Shut it, Nathan, and tell me what you know.”

“Getting right down to business, I see.”

“I didn’t come here for anything else.”

“No?” He raised an eyebrow and tiled his head to the side. “You didn’t come here for a repeat of last night?”

The memory caused her to blush a deep shade of red. “That’s never going to happen again,” she snapped.

“Sure it’s not.”

“If you’re not gonna tell me what I want to know, then I’m leaving. I’ll figure it all out on my own.” She went to stand up, but Nathan waved her back down.

“All right, all right.” He rolled his eyes. “Do you have to be so serious all the time?”

“This is a serious matter, Nathan.”

“Whatever. Go ahead and ask your questions.”

She already knew her first question. She’d been waiting to ask it since she woke up this morning. “What did you do to Kate?”

Nathan sighed, knowing very well that she was going to ask, but still not happy about it. “I drugged her and brought her to _him._ ”

“Who’s him?” Max asked, suddenly filled with dread.

“I can’t tell you that.”

“You said you would answer my questions.”

“Actually, I said I’d answer some of them.” He leaned back against the small bed frame, bending one leg at the knee and leaving the other outstretched. For extremely unknown reasons, Max suddenly thought that he looked kind of hot.

“Are you gonna keep staring at me, or are you gonna ask your next question?” He asked her with a wry smile, though there was some annoyance in his voice. “I don’t have all fucking night, you know.”

“I wasn’t staring at you,” she muttered, embarrassed.

“We can pretend you weren’t if it’ll hurry this all the fuck up.”

Max huffed. “Why did he want Kate? And why were you doing it for him?”

“Look, all I can tell you is that I have to do whatever he tells me to or _I’ll_ be the one who’s in trouble, along with my family. Kate was just one of many girls I’ve taken to him.” He looked down and began to fiddle with his fingers, not wanting to meet her eyes.

“How did you even get into this whole thing in the first place?”

“He blackmailed me. He has shit on my family that would destroy us if it got out to the public.” Nathan shrugged like the information didn’t matter. “I didn’t really have a choice.”

“Really?” Max scoffed. “You’re always bragging about how your family owns this town and everyone in it. Why didn’t you just tell your family and get to him first?”

“I didn’t want to take the fucking chance,” he admitted in a harsh tone, “so now I have to do exactly what he says. And usually that involves me drugging girls and bringing them to his lair or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Then I bring them back to their dorms.” His hands began to shake. “I don’t know why he chose me of all people. Maybe because I was the easiest to manipulate and blackmail. Maybe because I’m the one who has the most to lose. What I _do_ know is that I fucking hate it. I hate that he has this fucking control over me. I hate that I have to do this fucking shit for him. And I hate that I’m the one who has to protect my family’s fucking reputation. If I was smart I would take a bus out of this shithole and get as far away from here as possible.”

Max was a little more than taken aback by the sudden rant, but she knew that it wasn’t meant for her. For a moment he probably forgot that she was even there.

“So why don’t you?” She asked softly.

Nathan’s eyes snapped to hers. “Because I don’t want to know what he’d do to my family if I left.”

Max had never seen Nathan so vulnerable and lost, but now that she had, she couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Yeah, he was far from innocent. He was drugging girls and bringing them to some asshole who did _something_ to them. But at the same time this wasn’t what he wanted at all. He was scared.

“What does he do with them?” She was almost afraid of the answer.

“He takes pictures of them.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a sick fuck who gets off on it!” Nathan’s voice was sharp and sudden. “And before you ask, I don’t know if he does anything else to them. If he has in the past, I wasn’t in the room at the time.” He leaned back against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. “Does that answer some of your questions?”

There were still plenty more racing around in her head, but she knew Nathan wasn’t going to answer them now. “Just tell me three more things.”

“Holy shit— _what?_ ”

“Did you take Rachel Amber?”

“Next question.”

Max jumped up. “Where is she, Nathan?”

“I said next question, Maxine,” he sneered.

“Just tell me! Or at least tell me if she’s alive or dead!”

Nathan regarded her for a moment, eyes like steel. “If I tell you,” he said slowly, “you can’t tell anyone. Do you hear me? Not a goddamn soul.”

Max took a deep breath. “I won’t tell anyone,” she promised. And she meant it for the most part. She wouldn’t tell anyone-not yet, at least-but could she really keep it from Chloe? Would it be better to hide it from her for now?

“She’s dead,” Nathan said, so softly that she wasn’t sure if she even heard him right.

“Dead?”

“Yes, dead. As in, she’s in the fucking ground somewhere rotting away.”

She felt dizzy. “He killed her?”

“She woke up when she wasn’t supposed to.” Nathan looked away from her. “She saw him and she would have told the cops. He obviously wasn’t gonna let that happen.”

“Nathan,” Max whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, “you have to go to the police. You have to come clean.”

“No!” He hissed, getting off his bed. “Do you realize what’ll happen to me if I come clean? Do you know what’ll happen to my family?”

“Nathan, Rachel is dead! He _killed_ her! And he’s having you drug girls so he can take disgusting pictures of them! Don’t you want this to stop?”

“Of course I want it to fucking stop! But what the fuck am I supposed to do?” He pressed a hand over his eyes and was silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was so shaky that Max thought he was actually going to cry. “I know this has to end. I just need to find a way to end it without getting the pigs involved.

Max made up her mind in a second. “Let me help you.”

Nathan removed his hand from his eyes and gave her a confused look. “What?”

“I can help you,” she insisted. “We can work together to find a way to take down this asshole.”

“Are you-are you fucking serious?” He laughed. “Do you honestly think I’m gonna let you help me with this shit? I’ve already given away too much information.”

“But-“

“Besides,” he continued as if she hadn’t been about to protest, “you don’t even know who he is. How the fuck could you help me?”

“You can tell me who he is.”

“Not happening.”

Max let out a frustrated sigh. “You know I can help you. Why won’t you just accept it?”

He walked over to the door and opened it. “Because 1) I don’t like you. 2) I don’t want your help and I don’t need it.” He nodded towards the hall. “Now get out. I need to get high.”

Max stood there defiantly and Nathan gave her a warning look. “I’ll drag your ass out of here if I have to,” he threatened.

And because she was positive that he would actually do it and it wasn’t some empty threat, she shot him a glare and began to march out of the room.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her close to him before she could leave.

“What the hell are you-?” She was about to snap, but his face was close to hers that she couldn’t find the words.

“You can’t help me,” he said, voice suddenly husky, “but if you ever need my help with anything…” One hand trailed down to her hip and he gave the waistband on her jeans a tug. “You know where to find me.”

Max felt the all-too familiar feeling again and she looked up at Nathan with wide eyes. She absolutely hated to admit it, but it was so tempting to just slam the door close and let him have his way with her (stupid fucking hormones!) But instead she managed to shove him away from her. Besides, he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in doing _that_ with her, didn’t he? And she definitely didn’t want to do anything with him. Her hormones were just causing her to not think straight.

“Fuck you, Nathan,” she spat. She turned away from him and stormed out of the room.

The last thing she heard as she stormed down the hall was the sound of his laughter. _Asshole._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, Max will get to ask her other two questions next chapter. As for her keeping it a secret that Rachel is dead, it might seem a little OOC for her to keep something like that to herself, but right now she wants to help Nathan stop Him (Jefferson) from using any more girls. She hates it, but she knows that it would make things even more difficult if she went to the police about it. We'll see her struggle more and more with the secret as the story goes on. 
> 
> Also, I didn't realize until after I posted this that I referred to the place where the victims are taken as a "lair." I completely forgot it's called "The Dark Room." Yes, I'll probably be nitpicking at every tiny mistake I make even when it's not a big deal. Sorry. I have a problem lol. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and comments :)
> 
> Not much will happen in this chapter and I'm sorry about that. I've been busy with getting ready for college and dealing with some personal things. I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to write this chapter so I'm not 100% satisfied with it.
> 
> I'll also be heading to visit my Mom today, and I'll probably be there for almost a week. Unfortunately she doesn't have Wi-Fi and my laptop won't let me on the internet without it, so I won't be updating until I'm home. 
> 
> I hope you guys somewhat enjoy this chapter.

“Max, wait up!”

Max turned around and froze as Warren came up to her. “Oh, hey,” she greeted as casually as she could.

Warren frowned. “Why were you in Nathan Prescott’s room?”

_Shit. Busted._

She looked down at the ground. “I…I needed to talk to him about something.”

“Is everything okay? I thought I heard you two yelling.”

“It wasn’t exactly a pleasant conversation-you know how Nathan Prescott is-but everything is fine,” she lied.

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “Cool. So, I guess you’re going back to your dorm now?”

“Yeah. I’m exhausted. It’s been a long fucking day.”

“I bet.” Warren shyly rubbed the back of his neck. “Max, if you ever want to talk about what’s been going on with you lately, you know I’m always here to listen.”

The concern in his voice made her stomach turn. “I know, Warren. Thanks. You’re an awesome friend.”

“So are you, Max. Well, I’ll let you go.” He didn’t seem to want to stop talking to her, but he could tell that she wasn’t in the mood for a long conversation.

“I’ll text you tomorrow, Warren. Goodnight.”

“Night, Max.”

Max gave him a small smile before she turned around and began to walk towards her dorm. She couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty. How many more secrets could she keep from her friends before she broke?

                                                          

* * *

 

_She was screaming._

_She wouldn’t stop screaming._

_It was almost amazing how she could go from being angry to pleading for her life in a matter of seconds._

_**Shut the fuck up, Rachel!** Nathan thought desperately, trying to get himself to become alert again. Jefferson had forced him to medicate and then “pose” with Rachel. The drugs were starting to wear off, but everything was still a bit hazy. _

_“No!” She cried, “No, please don’t-“_

_BLAM._

_All Nathan could see was red as Rachel fell over, blood pouring out of her head and creating a large puddle around her._

_It became deadly silent._

_“R-Rachel?!” Nathan choked out. “Rachel—what the fuck?! Rachel!”_

_Jefferson lowered his gun and glanced at the boy. “Calm down, Nathan.”_

_Nathan looked up at him in horror. “Calm down? You just fucking killed her!”_

_“She would have told the police about us. We would both go to jail and your family’s lives would be destroyed. Would you have wanted that?”_

_“Of course that’s not what I fucking wanted! But I didn’t want her to die-!”_

_“Neither did I,” Jefferson said, though he sounded far from remorseful. “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “I think you know that better than anyone.”_

_Nathan gritted his teeth and didn’t reply._

_“You’re gonna help me bury her body,” the older man went on. “We can bury her right here in the junkyard.”_

_Nathan gaped at him. “You can’t be fucking serious-!”_

_The back of Jefferson’s hand connected with Nathan’s cheek. The boy yelped in surprise and pain._

_“I’m giving you a chance to impress me,” the teacher hissed. “Don’t fuck it up.”_

_Nathan should have killed him. He should have killed him right then and there. All he had to do was catch Jefferson off guard and grab the gun from his hands. He could end this right now._

_“Are you listening to me, Prescott?”_

_But Nathan couldn’t do it. He wanted to. His fingers were twitching, wanting nothing more than to jump up and grab that fucking gun…But he just couldn’t do it. He didn’t know if it was because he was afraid of fucking up his chance and ending up with a bullet in his skull like Rachel, or because he knew that if he killed Jefferson he would either go to jail or be forced to flee Arcadia Bay. No matter what choice he made, he was fucked. And he was a goddamn coward._

_Somehow he managed to stand up. “What do you want me to do?” He asked quietly._

_“There’s a shovel in the trunk of my car. Grab it and start digging. But don’t dig too deep. If somethings happens, we might need to dig her back up and move her body.”_

_A while later, when the hole was dug and Nathan felt any sanity he had left slipping further and further away, he dropped the shovel and stumbled over to Rachel. “I’m sorry, Rachel,” he whispered. “I’m so fucking sorry. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”_

_“Get on with it, Nathan,” Jefferson ordered._

_Nathan refrained from telling the man to fuck off, and instead bent down to pick the girl up. He could practically smell the blood that covered the back of her head and he wanted to throw up. Every step of the way was torture. His legs protested, threatening to give out any given moment. By some fucked up miracle he was able to make it. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again as he bent down and set Rachel in the hole. He stood there for a moment and stared at her, trying to fight off the tears that were threatening to spill over. The last thing he wanted was for the fucker watching him to see him cry._

_“There’s no time for this, Nathan,” Jefferson sighed. “Bury her.”_

_Nathan quickly wiped at his eyes and bent down to grab the shovel._

_Rachel’s hand reached up and grabbed his arm. “How could you do this, Nathan?!” Rachel screeched. “How could you let him do this to me?! I was supposed to be your friend!”_

_Nathan’s eyes were wide with fear. “Rachel, I’m-!”_

_“No! You’ll get what’s coming to you, Prescott! This isn’t over! Do you hear me? It’s not over!”_

Nathan’s eyes flew open and he gasped.

Sunlight streamed into his room and it took him a few seconds to realize where he was. When he did, he let out a loud groan and ran a hand down his face. “You’re fine, Nathan,” he told himself, trying to calm down his racing heart. “You’re in your shitty dorm room. You’re not at the junkyard. It was just a fucking nightmare.”

And what a fucking nightmare it was. He really needed to stop getting so high before going to bed.

_Speaking of getting high_ …He forced himself out of bed and trudged over to the couch, moving it out so he could grab the cell phone that he taped to it. He nearly started twitching in anticipation as he turned it on, unlocked it, and quickly scrolled through his contacts to find Frank’s number.

**Hey. I need some more peruvian flake. meet me @ the beach in 1 hour?**

Ten minutes later he got a response.

_**Too fucking early man. I want double what u normally pay me for it** _

**Yea fine just be there**

Nathan threw the phone on his bed and grabbed his clothes. He really wanted to get fucking high right now, but the last time he got high right before meeting Frank he ended up freaking out on the guy. He couldn’t do that anymore if he wanted his shit.

And without the drugs, what the fuck did he have left?

* * *

 

Max was bored. And honestly, seeing as how this week has been insane so far, boring was actually kind of nice.

Chloe was still sleeping so she couldn’t meet up with her, and Warren was in class so she couldn’t hang out with him either. The only thing she could think of doing was going to see Nathan Prescott and try to get him to let her help him, but she didn’t exactly want to deal with him so early in the morning. Besides, if he was asleep and she woke him up, he’d most likely murder her.

The word murder made her think of their conversation last night. She had tossed and turned all night in her bed while she thought about Rachel Amber. Max wanted to tell Chloe so badly that Rachel was dead, but she knew that now wasn’t a good time. God only knows what Chloe would do if she found out. And if Max wanted to help Nathan, she had to keep it a secret—for now.

She sighed. If she stayed in her room all day, she’d probably go crazy. Maybe a small walk in town and then breakfast at the Two Whales diner would help take her mind off of things for a little while. She could always visit Kate, too.

Making up her mind, Max got off her bed and grabbed her camera and bag. She quickly left her room and made her way out of the girls dorm, already feeling a tiny bit better when she was out in the fresh air.

That was, of course, until she bumped into Nathan when she was on her way to the bus stop in front of the school. The guy seemed to have a way of polluting the air.

“Oh, great,” he said sarcastically, “just the ugly face I wanted to see first thing in the morning.”

“Nice, Nathan,” she said flatly before continuing to walk.

Nathan followed her. “Hey, Caulfield,” he snapped, “you didn’t open your mouth to anyone about what I told you last night, right?”

“No, I didn’t tell anyone.” She rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs.

“Good, because you should know what’ll happen to you if you do.” There was an edge to his tone that she didn’t like.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Call it whatever you want, but even a dumbass like you should take it seriously.”

“Go take your meds, Nathan.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and from the look on his face she could tell it was the wrong thing to say.

“What the fuck did you just say to me, bitch?” He growled, grabbing her arm and gripping it tightly enough to the point of pain.

“Nathan, you’re hurting me. Let go!” Max cried, trying to break her arm free but unable to do so.

“Not until you tell me what the fuck you said.” His voice was calmer, but also shaking with a vicious anger that was threatening to appear at any moment.

This was the Nathan who Max hated. The one who seemed to be his usual douche bag self one minute and the next a complete psycho who couldn’t control himself or his rage. It was like he had just become a completely different person with the flip of a switch. A monster.

“Do we have a problem here?”

They both turned their heads and saw the bus driver giving them a look. They hadn’t even heard the bus pull up.

“Not at all,” Nathan answered, flipping the switch yet again. He let go of Max’s arm and stepped back.

“I was talking to the young lady.” The bus driver looked at Max.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed. “And I’m telling you, asshole, that everything is fine-“

“I’m fine,” Max cut in before Nathan could say anything more.

The man didn’t seem to believe her, but he didn’t say anything else.

She looked back at Nathan. There was still anger in his eyes, but he seemed to have calmed down a little.

“Well? Are you gonna get on the bus?” He smirked at the driver and added with a sneer, “We don’t wanna keep the nice bus driver waiting.”

Max turned away from him and made her way onto the bus, not realizing that he was right behind her until he plopped down next to her in a seat.

“What are you doing?” She was puzzled.

“What does it look like, genius?” He rolled his eyes.

“You have your own car. Why are you taking the bus? Better yet, why are you sitting next to me?”

Nathan looked around to make sure there weren’t too many people around them. Luckily the bus was practically empty today.

“We gotta talk,” he said, lowering his voice.

“If it’s to warn me some more about not telling anyone everything you told me last night, there’s no need. I get it. I won’t open my mouth.” She turned her head to look out the window, wishing he would move to a different seat and leave her alone.

“You never asked your other two questions last night,” he reminded her.

Max looked over at him in surprise. “Are you actually going to answer them?”

“If I feel like it.” She honestly couldn’t understand why Nathan would take the bus with her just to see what her other two questions were. It was obvious he hated answering them. Was he just curious to see what else she had to ask, or…or was there something else he wanted to talk to her about and was just putting the conversation off for now?

“Well?” He was growing irritated again. “You gonna ask them or not? Jesus.”

“You are _way_ too impatient,” Max muttered.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I’m a lot of things, sweetheart. Get used to it.”

Something told her she was gonna have to.

“Okay,” she started, “tell me why you drugged Chloe and then tried to take pictures of her yourself. You said that He’s the one who takes the pictures, right? And you brought her to your room.”

A dark look passed over his face. “How’s that bitch doing, by the way? Ever get her fucking money?”

“Nathan.”

“Maxine.”

Having had just about enough of his bullshit, Max grabbed her bag and stood up.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” He demanded.

“I’m moving to another seat.” She crossed her arms and stared icily at him, waiting for him to let her by.

“Sit your ass down,” he growled.

“Only if you swear that you won’t make any more comments about Chloe.”

Nathan scowled. “Yeah, fine. Whatthefuckever. Just _sit down_.”

Max sighed and sat back down.

“He’s always looking for me to impress him,” Nathan began to explain as soon as she was comfortable. “I knew what your stupid bitch of a friend-“ He caught the look Max was giving him and rolled his eyes. “I knew what your _dimwitted_ friend was up to—trying to get money off of me. It really pissed me off, so I decided that I would use her as a way to impress that prick. Obviously that fucking failed,” he snorted.

“So…you don’t like doing what he’s making you do, yet you did it to Chloe out of your own free will.” Max felt a spark of anger.

An amused look crossed his face, though when he spoke his voice was filled with bitterness. “Yeah, looks like it.”

The bus came to a stop and Nathan’s fingers began to twitch again at the thought of being able to get his drugs in less than ten minutes. He gave Max a short wave and got up to exit the bus, forgetting that she had one last question.

Max wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. “Where do you take the girls?”

He tensed. “As if I could tell you that. The last thing I fucking need is for you to follow me there and get me in trouble,” he snapped.

“Are you two getting off?” The bus driver asked from up front.

“In a minute,” Nathan answered, barely paying attention to the man. He thought for a moment and then sighed, looking down at Max. “The only thing I’m allowed to say is that it’s called The Dark Room. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go take care of some business.”

He began to exit the bus and Max quickly grabbed her bag and followed him.

“Do you mean you have more victims to drug?” She practically whispered once they were off the bus. There were plenty of people around and she didn’t want anyone to overhear. Nathan spun around and glared at her.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Mind your business and fuck off.” An elderly woman walking by overheard the last part and gasped at his foul language, and Nathan growled, “Keep walking, grandma.”

“Stop it,” Max hissed. “Do you have to be so nasty to everyone?”

“It’s all part of my charm,” he replied, tone dripping with sarcasm. “Now seriously, fuck off.”

Max resisted the urge to punch him and pushed past him, muttering “Asshole” under her breath.

Nathan caught it and laughed. “Where are you going, anyway?” He asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Max stopped and looked at him. “Now look who’s not minding their own business.”

“It was a fucking question, dyke,” he snarled.

She scoffed. “Go to hell, Nathan.”

A smirk quirked the corner of his mouth and he turned away from her. “Don’t worry, I will at some point.”

By the time Max thought of something to say, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the pretty abrupt ending. Next chapter will be longer and hopefully better :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Thank you for all your comments and kudos. They bring a huge smile to my face :)   
> This chapter takes place towards the end of episode 3. Also, for the sake of the story, sometimes I might have to drag out some things that happened in the game and also drag out/mess around with timelines. I just felt like you guys should know that in case anyone has a problem with it.  
> WARNING: There is drug use in this chapter, and it isn't just weed *Winks creepily*
> 
> I also tried to edit this as best as I could, but I'm absolutely exhausted so I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
> Enjoy!

The next day, Nathan received a text from Jefferson telling him to come to the Man’s classroom. Apparently they had some “matters” to discuss.

Matters meaning Jefferson just picked out his next victim.

Nathan knocked on the classroom door.

“Come in,” he heard Jefferson call, and he slowly turned the knob, heart beginning to race. Christ, everything inside of him told him to run, just like every other time he was forced to meet up with the teacher. And just like every other time, he ignored it. Why did he have to be such a fucking coward?

Jefferson looked up and motioned for Nathan to come in. “Lock the door behind you.”

“I thought that went without saying,” Nathan replied dryly. “You know, if the principle or another staff member walks by and sees you alone with me with the door locked, it’s not gonna look good.”

“Then I guess it’s good I have the Prescott’s on my side,” Jefferson chuckled. “Now get over here and look at this.”

The younger man sighed and walked over to stand next to Jefferson. On the desk was a binder…and it was labeled “Victoria.”

Nathan froze. His heart began to beat again so fast that he was almost sure it would stop beating all together, and he felt nauseous. This couldn’t be fucking happening.

“No!” He gasped, flipping open the binder to double check even though he knew it wasn’t a mistake.

“I’m sorry,” Jefferson said quietly, “I know she’s your friend, but I don’t appreciate being threatened, and that’s exactly what she did last night.”

“So this is the price she pays, huh?” Nathan snarled. “This is what she gets? What, are you gonna put a bullet in her brain after you’re done taking your sick fucking pictures and then bury her in the junkyard next to Rachel Amber?!” His voice was growing louder and louder with every word, but he didn’t give a shit at the moment.

Jefferson’s eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to Nathan, feeling satisfied when the younger man flinched and took a step back. “If it comes down to that, yes,” he admitted. “But my goal isn’t to kill Victoria. It’s to teach her a lesson.”

“A lesson that she’ll barely remember when she wakes up in her dorm!”

“She’ll remember enough.”

Nathan’s fists clenched and his face was red with anger. “You’re fucking pathetic you know that?” He spat. “She made a threat that you _know_ was a bluff, and you feel the need to-“

“She would have been chosen sooner or later.” Jefferson looked down at the open binder and ran a finger down a picture of Victoria. “Her threat just…sped up the process.” He closed the binder and held it out to Nathan. “I’m thinking we get this done during the next Vortex part. Like with Kate.”

“You can’t make me do this.” Nathan’s voice began to crack and he hated it. He hated sounding weak. “Victoria’s my best friend. You can’t ask me to hurt her like this. I can’t. I _won’t_!”

“You will!” Jefferson’s voice was firm. “You and I both know what’ll happen if you don’t. I shouldn’t have to keep reminding you, Nathan.”

Nathan opened his mouth to protest and then snapped it close. He stared at Jefferson angrily for a moment and the other man stared back, challenging him to refuse again. And Nathan wouldn’t refuse, because a big part of him was too afraid to do it. So with a growl, he snatched the binder out of Jefferson’s hand and didn’t say another word as he practically ran out of the room, desperate to get out of there because he suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“We’ll talk later, Nathan,” Jefferson told him right before he closed the door.

Nathan ignored him and angrily stormed down the hallway. Everything else became a blur around him. His throat felt tight and he could feel the rage inside of him dying to burst out, to take it out on someone. But his legs kept moving, pushing past anyone in his way.

God help anyone who attempted to stop him right now.

Despite everything’s he done, despite all the shit Jefferson and his family has put him through, he had still held onto some kind of hope that everything would get better, that one day he would escape it all and get out of Arcadia Bay. It was small and barely existent, but it had been there. And now it wasn’t. It wasn’t there anymore. He had lost it in a matter of seven minutes from talking with Jefferson, and it felt like the Man had psychically reached into his chest and ripped it out. Nathan didn’t know if he could survive without that hope.

Without Victoria.

It wasn’t like he had feelings for her or anything. Yeah, they slept together sometimes, but she was his best friend in the whole world. She didn’t know him better than anyone, but she came close to it. She was there for him whenever he needed her, and it would kill him if anything happened to her. Maybe not psychically-that depended on whether or not he was too much of a coward to end his life-but everything else inside of him would follow her. He wouldn’t be the person he is now and he wouldn’t even try to be. And considering that he’s a fucking monster right now, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

Nathan wasn’t sure how he made it to his dorm room, but as soon as he stepped foot inside it, he slammed the door shut and could feel it sliding down behind his back as he dropped to the ground. A pained cry that had been trapped there for years ripped out of his throat. It was broken and filled with nothing but sorrow and agony.

This wasn’t supposed to be his life. This was never supposed to happen to him. He’s nineteen years old, for fucks sake! He should be enjoying his life and getting ready to graduate college and then work alongside his bastard Father (not that he wanted to work with the asshole, but he could handle that much better than this.) Instead he’s getting ready to lead his best friend to her possible death.

_“I can help you. We can work together to take down this asshole!”_

_“You know I can help you. Why won’t you just accept it?”_

Max’s words rang in Nathan’s head. For whatever reason, she wanted to help him, even after all the shit he’s pulled. Okay, maybe it didn’t necessarily have to do with him, but she still wanted to help, and he had rejected it. But what the fuck else was he supposed to do? How could he let her help and risk everything? How could he trust her?

_What else are you gonna do? You can’t do this on your own, Nathan. You know that. May as well take the fucking chance and let her help you. Who knows, maybe she’ll actually be useful._

“Fuck,” he murmured, wiping his wet eyes. “Fuck. Okay. Okay.”

Taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair, he found her number and quickly typed out a text before hitting send.

_Don’t make me regret this, Caulfield,_ he thought bitterly. _You won’t like what I do if you betray me._

**Caulfield. meet me @ the diner. we gotta talk.**

Max frowned. She had a feeling that the text was from Nathan, but just to make sure, she texted back, **_Who is this?_**

**Who the fuck do U think? Hurry ur ass up I’m not waiting for long**

“Max,” Chloe said impatiently, “come on. Text your boyfriend in the truck. I wanna get out of here.”

Max pocketed her phone and scowled at her friend. “For the last time, Chloe, Warren is not my boyfriend.”

“Whatever. Let’s just go.”

The two girls left the house and climbed into Chloe’s truck.

“We need to go to the diner,” Max told Chloe.

Chloe’s eyebrows drew together. “Okay, but why?”

Max hesitated and said carefully, “Listen, when I went through David’s laptop, I found pictures of Rachel and Frank…being more than friends.”

Chloe snorted. “Right. No way, Max. She was just posing to tease Frank.”

“If you’re not gonna believe me, why don’t we check out what Frank has in his RV?”

“What’s that gonna prove?”

It wasn’t going to prove anything really important, because Rachel is dead and Max knows that. But it’s not like she could tell Chloe that, and she was kind of curious about what Frank and Rachel had going on. And she had to meet Nathan at the diner anyway, right?

“Frank has Rachel’s bracelet,” she said. “What else does he have in there?”

“Mother fucker better not have anything,” Chloe growled. “For his sake.”

 

 

_You’re going through all this trouble for nothing, Max,_ she thought to herself as she stepped into the Two Whales diner. _You’re giving Chloe so much hope by trying to help her find a girl who’s dead. What kind of friend are you?_

Not a very good one. But, at the same time, she knew that she had to keep this a secret until she and Nathan ended this once and for all…If she could even convince him to let her help, that is.

Since both Nathan and Frank were in the diner, she wasn’t sure who she should talk to first. Nathan wouldn’t want to be kept waiting, but Frank could leave before she even got the keys.

_Just quickly grab Frank’s keys, rewind, and then go talk to Nathan._

Getting the keys wasn’t as easy as she thought, even with her rewind powers. The first two ways epically failed and almost resulted in her getting a serious beating (not that the cop sitting at the counter would let that happen, but still.) Luckily the third time worked out fine-well, as fine as stealing keys off a guy and then rewinding before he could kill you could get-and she quickly ran the keys out to Chloe and got Pompidou out of the RV.

“I need to talk to Nathan real quick,” she told her best friend. “You go see what you can find and I’ll meet you out here.”

Chloe frowned. “What the hell do you need to talk to Prescott about?”

Max quickly tried to come up with an excuse. “I, uh, have to ask him some questions. I’ll also distract Frank if he tries to leave before you’re finished here.”

“Whatever, Max. Just hurry up, okay? I might need your help rewinding something.”

Max quickly headed back into the diner and went straight to Nathan’s table. The boy looked up at her and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Rachel,” he said in surprise, actually sounding happy for a second. When he noticed it was just Max, he scowled. “Whateverthefuck. Why the hell are you wearing Rachel’s clothes?”

“It’s a long story,” she muttered, sitting down across from him. She wouldn’t mention how he just called her by a dead girl’s name. “I don’t have a lot of time. Chloe’s currently searching Frank’s RV for information on Rachel.” She figured since he was honest with her for the most part, she would be honest with him.

Nathan’s eyebrows shot up. “How’d you manage to pull that shit off?”

“I kind of stole his keys off of him.”

“How do you _‘kind of’_ steal keys off someone?” He shook his head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. As long as your girlfriend doesn’t find out the truth about Rachel, she can do whatever the fuck she wants.” He took a sip of his soda and Max noticed how jittery he was.

“Can I ask you something without you freaking out?” Something inside of her told her to shut up before she said the wrong thing and pissed him off, but a bigger part of her was too curious.

There was a warning look in his eyes that was telling her to be careful of what she was about to ask. “What is it?” He snapped.

Max hesitated. “Um, it’s just—I’ve noticed that you twitch and get jittery a lot,” she began, trying to think of a way to ask her question carefully,” and I was wondering why. Is it because of the medication you take?”

_Idiot! He doesn’t know that you know about that!_ Her mind screamed at her.

Her words caught him off guard for a moment, but then he fixed her with an angry glare. “How the fuck do you know about that?” He spat the words and it was obvious that it was taking everything inside of him to control the volume of his voice to avoid having the cop come over.

‘It’s not exactly hard to figure out that you’re always doped up on a whole bunch of shit,” Max retorted, sticking her foot further in her mouth.

If looks could kill, she would a die a horrible, painful death. “You don’t know anything about me,” Nathan hissed. “I’m sick of everyone thinking that they’ve got me figured out.”

“I don’t know much about you, Nathan, but it’s obvious that you have a lot of problems.” Max sighed and folded her hands on the table. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight with you. I’m here because you said we needed to talk.”

“And I’m a second away from saying ‘fuck it’ and walking out of here.” He leaned back in his seat and turned to stare out the window.

There was an awkward silence between them. Max was inwardly cursing herself for getting him so worked up. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut? Not even that, but why did she have to piss him off further by making comments about him having issues? It wasn’t like it was a secret to anyone in town. Everyone knew what he was really like. But she knew that it probably bothered Nathan to have everyone in town know that he wasn’t right in the head.

“I’m sorry,” she looked down at the table.

Nathan glanced at her, eyes cold. “What was that?”

“I said I’m sorry.” She looked up and sighed. “Your problems aren’t my business, and I’m sorry for bringing them up. I know it must suck to have everyone think that you’re…” She tried to think of the right words to say, but there was nothing she could say without offending him again, so she went silent.

He regarded her for a moment and then shrugged. “Yeah, well, I don’t really give a fuck what people think about me anymore.” That wasn’t entirely true and they both knew it.

“So…” Max began awkwardly, “what did you want to talk to me about?”

Nathan rubbed his eyes tiredly and turned around to motion for a waitress to bring him another soda.

“You still wanna help me, right?” He asked her when he was facing her again.

Max eyed him in slight suspicion. “Yes, I do.”

“And as much as I hate to fucking admit it…” He paused and let out a short, humorless laugh with the shake of his head. “I might actually need your help.” Max’s eyes lit up a tiny bit and she opened her mouth to speak, but Nathan held up a finger. “I’ll tell you who’s behind all of this, but only if you promise to keep your mouth shut and not do anything that’ll get us both screwed.”

“I haven’t opened my mouth yet, have I?”

“Better not have.”

Max rested her chin on her knuckles and stared at him, waiting.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s fucking creepy,” he snapped at her. “And where the fuck is my soda? Christ, the service in this place is terrible.”

“I wasn’t-“She didn’t bother to finish her sentence and shook her head. “Just tell me who it is, Nathan.” She couldn’t keep Chloe waiting for much longer and the curiosity was burning inside of her.

Nathan rolled his eyes at her and angled his head to the side, looking at her in disbelief. “I’m not gonna fuckin’ tell you here.” A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You can come back to my dorm again tonight.”

She couldn’t have missed the smugness in his tone if she tried. But before she could answer him, she saw Chloe march into the diner and immediately go for Frank.

“Shit,” Max muttered, jumping up to stop her friend from doing anything too rash.

Nathan watched her run over to the girl and grinned. After the shit day he’s had, a good show is just what he needs.

Chloe slammed her hands on the table Frank was sitting at and leaned in close until she practically in his face.

“What the fuck were you doing with Rachel, Frank?!” She yelled angrily.

Max put a gentle hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Calm down, Chloe-“

Chloe shook the hand off, not looking away from Frank. “I’m not gonna calm down until this prick tells me what the fuck those love letters were that I found in his RV!”

“What?” Frank’s eyes narrowed and he stood up. “What the fuck were you doing in my RV, bitch?”

Everyone in the diner was staring at them and Officer Berry stood up. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I think we all need to calm down, and-“

Frank ignored him. “Answer me! What were you doing in my RV?”

“Looking for answers!” Chloe shouted back. “And I got plenty.” She pushed off the table and stepped back, eyes burning with anger. “I loved her, asshole, and I know that she loved me. If you think that you meant anything to her-“

“I think those letters you found in _my_ RV proved what I fucking meant to her,” Frank growled. “The only thing holding her back was you.”

“You son of a-“

“Chloe!” Max cried. “Not here. Not now.”

“Not ever.” Frank stood up and threw some bills on the table. He glared at Chloe and took a step towards her. In a low voice so no one would hear them, he said, “I want my fucking money, and then I don’t ever wanna see your faces again. You can get your weed from someone else.” He walked past Chloe and bumped his shoulder into hers, and then left the diner.

It was silent for a moment. Chloe stood still, shaking, and Max knew to give the girl a minute. She looked at Officer Berry and nodded at him, silently letting him know that he didn’t need to bother stepping in. He sighed and sat back down. He seemed too tired to do much anyway.

“Well,” Nathan said suddenly from behind Max, causing her to jump, “I don’t know what the fuck that was all about, but thanks for the show, ladies.”

“Fuck you, Prescott,” Chloe hissed.

“In your dreams, hoe,” he shot back before turning to Max. “I’ll see you tonight,” he told her, that annoying smirk on his face before his expression grew serious and almost…dangerous. “Be there, or you can forget helping me.”

Chloe spun around. “What? What the fuck is he talking about, Max? What are you helping him with?” She glared at Nathan darkly.

Nathan answered before Max could. “Was I fucking speaking to you? Mind your business, punk-ass.”

“Max is my best friend. She _is_ my business, asshole.” Chloe looked at Max. “Well, Max? What’s going on? Is this what took you so long?” She demanded, growing angry again.

Max put a hand over her eyes and sighed. “Chloe, Nathan just needed my help taking pictures for a project Mr. Jefferson is having us do.” It was the best lie she could come up with.

“Uh-huh. Right.” Chloe crossed her arms, clearly not believing a word Max was saying. “Why would he choose you, Max? And why would you even help him?”

“Because…It’s a good opportunity to get some good shots.”

“And I think she owes me after getting me suspended,” Nathan added in a hard voice. He was still pissed about that.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chloe took a step towards Nathan, ready to tell him off, but Max grabbed her arm to hold her back. Getting into anything with Nathan right now was not a good idea.

“You kids should get going,” Officer Berry said in a tone that left no room for protest. “And no fighting, you hear?”

Nathan waved the man off. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I was just about to leave anyway.” He looked at Max and Chloe with a smug expression on his face. “Catch you bitches later.” He winked at Max and walked out of the diner.

Max looked at Chloe wearily. “Chloe, I-“

The other girl shook her head and stormed out of the diner.

“Chloe!”

Chloe ignored her and Max was left standing alone.

 

 

The car ride was silent for the most part. Max didn’t exactly know what to say to her best friend. Chloe was currently in her _I’m pissed at the fucking world_ mood, and Max didn’t want to fight. But she couldn’t let Chloe drive off without at least attempting to talk to her or apologize.

“Look, Chloe,” Max said softly, “you and I both hate Nathan. Me helping him with some stupid project doesn’t change that.”

“I don’t care about the project, Max. You can do whatever you want.”

Max could feel a headache coming on. “You’re being ridiculous. Nathan and I can’t stand one another. Do you honestly think he and I are going to bond and suddenly become best friends?”

“I’m just sick of everyone bailing on me and shitting all over me,” Chloe snapped. “My dad died, you left me, my mom married step-fucker, Rachel was fucking Frank behind my back, and now you and Nathan-“

“Don’t even finish that sentence, Chloe Price,” Max cut in, voice sharper than she intended. “Whatever Rachel was doing with Frank…she didn’t do it to hurt you. And _I’m_ not going to hurt you. If you think for a second that anything will _ever_ happen between me and Nathan, you’re crazy.”

“Tell me it was Warren who you really had to help that night,” Chloe pushed. “Tell me you ran out on me to help him with his science project, and not to help Nathan. Because I find it funny that they both asked for your help on their ‘projects.’”

And in that moment, Max wanted to spill everything to Chloe. She wanted to come clean about Rachel. She wanted to tell her friend about how Nathan had broken into her dorm room, agreed to tell her what he had been hiding, and then made her feel something she’s never felt before. And he didn’t just make her feel that way once, but twice. She wanted to confess about what she was really helping Nathan with. She wanted it all out in the open, because she didn’t know if she really could keep this all in any longer.

But she had to. She had to keep this to herself, even if it meant losing Chloe. She would rather Chloe be angry with her than put her best friend in any more danger.

“It was Warren,” Max answered, looking down at her lap.

There was a silence that hung between them for a long time. Chloe kept looking over at her with an expression that held both anger and hurt and concern.

“Fine, Max,” Chloe said at last. “Don’t tell me the truth. You wouldn’t be the first person to keep things from me.”

“Chloe-“

“Drop it.”

The rest of the ride was silent. When they finally reached the school, Chloe refused to look at Max when the girl got out of the car or say goodbye. Max felt her heart sink as she watched Chloe drive away.

_She has every right to be pissed, Max. This is what you get from keeping things from her and lying. The only thing you can do now is go back to your dorm until it’s time to wait for Nathan._

The thought of being alone with Nathan in his dorm again raised goosebumps on her arms, and she hated it. Nathan Prescott should _not_ be making her feel this way. Ever.

So why couldn’t she get him out of her head? She really did dislike him. He was psychotic and he was dangerous and he was an asshole. But at the same time, he was all she could think about lately. Why did her body have to betray and confuse her so much? There was no way she actually wanted, Nathan, right? Her body was just reacting that way around him because a guy’s never bothered with her before like he had, whether he was just teasing her or not.

_That has to be it,_ she absently thought to herself as she made her way back to her dorm room. _Just don’t let him tease you like that again, and everything will be fine. You can help take down the Man whose capturing girls, and then you both can go your separate ways. Easy._

Except it wasn’t easy at all. She would find that out soon enough.

 

 

Nathan lit a joint, inhaled, and passed it to Victoria who looked slightly bored.

“Did you just bring me here to get high?” She huffed, accepting the joint. “Because I have a shitload of homework that I have to get done, and-“

“Fuck that,” Nathan laughed. “You’re at the top of all your classes. You can afford to take a load off.”

The two were sitting in Nathan’s car on top of a hill that overlooked the beach. It was one of the places they went when they wanted to drink or get high or fool around a little.

Nathan needed to be with Victoria right now. He needed to be around her and know that she was there with him, because she would be taken away from him if he and Max failed to stop Jefferson.

“I guess you’re right,” Victoria sighed. “I just don’t want my Parents to cut off my trust fund.”

“If they do, fuck ‘em.” Nathan leaned back in his seat and angled his head into the headrest.

Victoria giggled. “You’ll take care of me if that happens, right, Nathan?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah…Of course I will, babe.” He couldn’t look at her when he said that and instead focused on holding in his smoke. He just wanted to get stoned and forget about all the shit he’s been dealing with.

She put a hand on his arm, forcing him to look at her. He hated the worried look that filled her eyes. “Are you okay, Nathan? You seem…distant.”

“Maybe because I’m on my way to forgetting my own fucking name,” he responded dryly, holding up the joint.

“Not that kind of distant…It just seems like something is upsetting you.” Her voice began to seem far away as his high kicked in.

“Same old shit, Vic.” He smiled lazily and passed her back the joint. “Now shut up and smoke up, gorgeous.”

She rolled her eyes but smirked and took back the joint. “Is it your dad?”

The smile fell from Nathan’s face and was replaced with a scowl. “Way to be a fucking buzzkill.”

“I’m serious.”

“He’s part of it, just like the prick always is.” He slumped in his seat and rested one side of his head on his knuckles. “I don’t wanna talk about him, all right?”

Victoria nodded apologetically. “Right. Sorry.”

“Forget it.”

Suddenly an idea came to him and without even considering the fact that Victoria was right next to him, he turned in his seat and reached behind it to grab one of his text books from school and a small black bag where he sometimes kept his supplies. He rummaged around for a moment until he found the bag of white powder.

“Ugh. You’re gonna do that here?” Victoria eyed the bag of coke with distaste.

Nathan turned back around and shrugged. “Why the fuck not?”

“Um, maybe because we’re in public and you’re the one who’s driving us back to school. Besides, if the police show up for whatever reason-“

“They won’t,” Nathan reassured her. “And if they do, so what? They wouldn’t be stupid enough to arrest me. My father and lawyer would fuck them in the ass.”

Victoria grimaced. “I guess. Look, I just don’t understand why you have to do this kind of stuff. Weed is one thing, but cocaine is a whole other story. That shit is bad for you.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes it’s easier to pump myself full of mind-blowing chemicals than deal with my fucking issues.”

Without waiting for her reply, he opened the bag and poured a small amount of cocaine onto the textbook. He whipped out one of his credit cards from his wallet and a crumpled up receipt, and used the credit card to make a neat line of the cocaine. Then he rolled up the receipt and leaned down, excitement filling him as he snorted the entire line.

Nathan’s done cocaine plenty of times, but he still fucking hated the way it made him feel at first. There was a tightening of his sinus and a sharp pain, and he squeezed his eyes shut while he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to resist the urge to sneeze.

“Wanna try it?” He asked Victoria, grinning as she stared at the bag, clearly a little more than curious even though she had just given him shit for doing it not even five minutes ago.

“I don’t know…I really shouldn’t…”

“Come on, do it with me,” he urged. “It’ll be fine. We can get fucked up together.”

Victoria bit her lip as she eyed the bag of cocaine with a way expression. After a moment she murmured, “Fuck it,” and snatched the bag of coke out of his hand along with the textbook and receipt. She copied what Nathan did, positioning the coke into a neat line and leaned down, snorting it all up through the rolled up receipt before she could stop herself.

She sniffed and rubbed at her nose. “Shit, that fucking hurts,” she whined.

“Like a bitch,” Nathan agreed.

The effects of the cocaine hit them both hard a minute later.

Just as he turned the radio on to some pop station, his fingers began to tingle. The tingling moved up through his entire body and his ears began to ring, and suddenly he’s fucking _flying._ Being high on both marijuana and cocaine only made the feeling so much better.

Lady Gaga’s song “Pokerface” comes on the radio and Victoria yells at him to turn it up because _she fucking loves this song!_ And Nathan had never been a huge fan of the weird bitch or her music, but it doesn’t fucking matter right now. He turns the volume up all the way and begins to shamelessly sing along to the song with Victoria.

His high right now…It was the best fucking feeling in the world. It was like there wasn’t anything in the world that he couldn’t do, and right now he wanted to do everything. He wanted to get all of his work from school done, and run away from Arcadia Bay (maybe even take Victoria with him if she’d go), and eat as much as he could, and not eat anything at all. He wanted to kill Mark fucking Jefferson, and tell his asshole father what he really thought about him, and apologize to Kate, and kiss Max Caulfield.

He wanted to kiss Max Caulfield.

Nathan wasn’t sure where the fuck that thought came from all of a sudden, but he couldn’t get it out of his head. Maybe it was the drugs, or maybe it was a desire he hadn’t even realized he had, but he wanted to kiss Max. He wanted to push that annoying, nosy, feminazi hipster bitch against the door and kiss her until her mouth was bruised. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and mark up her neck for the world to see. He wanted dig his nails into her skin and make her moan his name over and over again.

He wanted to fucking break that girl and put her back together again all at once.

Maybe tonight he would get his chance.

The effects of the cocaine wear off a half hour later, and he and Victoria slump against the car doors, breathing heavily from laughing so hard at absolutely nothing and singing at the top of their lungs.

“Not bad, huh?” He said to Victoria with a tired grin.

“You were right. It was fun.” She sniffed and let out a giggle. “I just wish it had lasted longer.”

Nathan chuckled and held up the bag. “Wanna go for round two?”

“…I guess one more time wouldn’t hurt.”

To his annoyance, he spent the next thirty minutes only thinking about Max, and he knew that he had to get this girl out of his system one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ahem* So...Yeah. I would just like to say that I know absolutely nothing about cocaine and what I wrote was just based off of some research I did online. I apologize for any mistakes I made. The idea of Nathan and Victoria doing cocaine together would not leave my head for some odd reason. 
> 
> Next chapter will focus on the alternate timeline. I was going to add some it into this chapter, but I decided to add it into the next one. We'll get to see a whole new Nathan and what his and Max's relationship is like in the alternate universe ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for this late update. I've been trying to settle into college and I just recently got a new job which has been exhausting. I'm not sure how the updates will go, but I'm trying to shoot for once a week, maybe even less. 
> 
> Anyway, I had to end up splitting this chapter into two parts because I have work in a half hour (YAY--NOT), and I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer. I'm sorry.
> 
> Apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes. I didn't have time to edit this, unfortunately.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments. I can't express how happy they make me :)

Max didn’t know what the fuck she had done or what had just happened, but she knew instantly that it wasn’t good.

It had all started when she was looking at a picture of her and Chloe from when they were kids. One minute she was staring at it with a small ache in her chest, and then the picture had begun to shake and she could vaguely hear her and Chloe’s voices. Once she had gotten past her shock, she focused on it, trying to figure out what the hell was happening to her now. The next thing she knew, she was back in her twelve year old body and standing in the middle of Chloe’s kitchen with William right in front of her.

Honestly, that should have been code red. She should have tried to get back to the future. Instead, she decided to be Super Max and save William from getting into that horrible car accident. And while she was doing it so Chloe could have her Dad back and William could have a second chance at living, she should have realized that she would be seriously messing with the future. It was almost common sense, wasn’t it? Hasn’t she seen enough movies to know that what she was doing wasn’t anything good?

Unfortunately, she did not. It didn’t occur to her that she had screwed up until she was suddenly sitting next to Victoria and the other members of the Vortex club, and Nathan Prescott was laying on the grass with his head on her lap while she ran her fingers through his hair.

“What the hell?” She gasped, jerking her hand away from his hair as if she had been burned.

Nathan looked up at her and frowned. “You okay, babe?”

_Okay…Nathan Prescott just called me babe. Stop blushing, Max!_

“Can you-can you get off me?” She said shakily, feeling relieved when he immediately complied and sat up. When he did, she couldn’t help but notice that he wasn’t wearing the red jacket he normally sported and was instead wearing a blue one.

“Max,” Nathan said softly, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear them, “what’s wrong? Is this about that girl Chloe again?”

Max froze. “What do you mean? What happened to Chloe?”

“I think Max is high,” Courtney said with a roll of her eyes.

“She’s not high,” Nathan shot back.

“Well, she’s acting totally weird. She’s always moping over her best friend-“

Nathan shot daggers at Courtney. “Shut up,” he snapped.

“Would you two make out already and stop fighting?” Victoria teased with a smirk.

“No can do, Vic,” Nathan said, wrapping an arm around Max, “Max is the only girl I want to make out with. Besides, who the fuck would want to kiss Courtney?”

“Fuck you, Nathan,” Courtney scoffed.

Max shook her head and stood up, ignoring the concerned look on Nathan’s face. She couldn’t deal with this right now. She had to see Chloe. Without saying another word, she began to walk away from the group, but stopped short when she saw Warren and Stella holding hands.

_So…I hooked up with Nathan, and Warren hooked up with Stella? How the hell could all of this have happened just because I saved William’s life? What else have I changed?_

“Max!”

Max sighed and turned around. “I don’t have time for this, Nathan. I have to find Chloe.”

Nathan looked hesitant. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

“Ready for _what?”_

“…Okay, seriously, Max, did you smoke with Victoria in the bathroom earlier? Not that I give a shit, but you’re acting pretty fucking weird-“

“I’m not high!” She cried, “I just…I need to see Chloe.” She turned away from him to continue walking, but he gently grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him.

“I’ll go with you,” he said. “We can take my car.”

Max shook her head and pulled her arm away, feeling slightly bad for some reason when Nathan’s face fell. “I don’t need you to go with me, Nathan.”

“I know you don’t, Max. But I’m your boyfriend and I’m going anyway.” He smirked. “Try and stop me, Caulfield.”

She debated making a run for it, but he’d probably be able to catch up to her pretty quickly. And because she knew he wouldn’t give up until she let him go with her, she sighed and nodded. “Fine. But we have to go now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The ride to Chloe’s house was mostly silent at first, except for when Max was giving Nathan directions. At one point he had tried to take her hand, but Max had pulled away and came up with some poor excuse about how he should have both hands on the wheel. But when she saw the hurt look on his face, she relented and took his hand.

And no, her heart did not flutter when he looked over at her and gave her a smile that was genuine and wasn’t bitter, for once.

_I wonder if he’s drugging girls in this alternate universe, or if that changed along with everything else._

“So, um...how did we meet?” She asked before she could stop herself.

Nathan raised his eyebrows. “What, now you’re gonna tell me that you don’t remember how we met?”

“Humor me.”

“Whatever,” Nathan said through a soft laugh. “We met when Victoria introduced you to the rest of the gang.”

“The gang?”

“The Vortex Club.” He rolled his eyes and began to fiddle with the dial for the stereo.

“Oh.” She could feel herself blushing a tiny bit. “Okay. And, uh, how did we get together?”

His fingers stilled and he glanced over at her, frowning. “Did you hit your head or something? Should I take you to a Doctor?” He was only half-teasing.

“Maybe I just want to make sure that you remember,” she replied with a glare.

“Whatever you say, babe. I asked you out and you agreed. The rest is history.”

“That’s it?” She hated how she sounded slightly disappointed.

“You can test me later, Max. We’re here.” Nathan pulled into the driveway, and Max jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped.

_Please let Chloe be okay. Please let Chloe be okay._

Heart pounding, she knocked on the door and held her breath while she waited, barely noticing Nathan coming to stand beside her. A moment later, it was William who answered the door.

_William, thank God you’re alive,_ she thought desperately.

“Max Caulfield,” the man said in surprise. “Taking a break after taking Seattle by storm, huh?” He looked at Nathan and his eyebrows drew together. “And…Nathan Prescott. This is a…surprise.”

Nathan muttered a “hi” under his breath and looked down at the ground.

“He’s with me,” Max explained. “He’s my…boyfriend.” God, it felt weird to say those words.

“Oh,” William replied lightly, “I see. That’s nice, Max. You know, we thought we’d never see you again after you left for the big city.”

Max shook her head. “No…I’d never do that to Chloe.”

“Speaking of…I know she’s been dying to see you. Hold on.” He turned around and called, “Chloe! You have visitors!”

Time seemed to slow down after that. The first thing she noticed, surprisingly, was the fact that Chloe’s hair wasn’t dyed anymore. The second thing she noticed was that her best friend was now in a wheel chair with a tube around her neck. Seeing Chloe like that…she couldn’t help but cover her mouth in shock. Even Nathan let out a sharp breath, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. She doubted that they were friends, even in this alternate reality.

_Oh no, Chloe…Shit. What the fuck have I done?!_

Chloe smiled softly at Max. “Hey, Max. Long time no see.” She glanced at Nathan but didn’t say anything. He nodded at her in return.

“Chloe…I…” Max choked out. Tears welled up in her eyes and her throat felt tight.

“It’s okay, Max,” Chloe replied softly.

Max almost let out a sob.

“Can we have a minute?” Nathan spoke up, ignoring the confused look Max gave him.

William nodded in understanding. “Of course. Chloe, let’s get these two something to drink.”

Though Chloe wanted to protest and comfort her best friend, she nodded and allowed her father to wheel her away into the kitchen, leaving Max and Nathan alone. Nathan’s arms suddenly circled around Max’s waist, and she felt his hot breath on her ear as he whispered in it, “You don’t have to see her today. If this is too hard for you, we’ll go and come back when you’re ready. We can come up with some kind of excuse. Just say the word, Max.”

“N-no,” Max stuttered, head starting to spin like it usually did when Nathan was much too close to her. “I have to talk to Chloe. I have to.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.” Her voice was stronger. She took a few steps into the house, but stopped when she didn’t hear him following her. “Are you coming inside?”

Nathan stared at her a weary expression on his face. “Max, I’m not sure that we should-“

“Nathan, I’m going to talk to Chloe,” she interjected. “You can come with me like you insisted, or you can leave.”

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. She could see that he was battling between leaving and staying, and she didn’t understand why. Did seeing Chloe that way make him uncomfortable? Did he know something that she didn’t? “I’ll stay,” he said at last with a sigh. “But I’m only doing this for you.”

She couldn’t help give him a small smile. The Nathan that she knew was used to was complete asshole, but this Nathan in this reality was actually kind of sweet.

_Enjoy it while it lasts, Max. When you figure out how to fix all of this, the scary prick will be back._

* * *

 

William hung around while Chloe, Max, and Nathan sat down to talk and have a glass of juice, much to his daughter’s annoyance. His eyes mostly remained on Nathan, as if he suspected the boy to cause trouble. Max could see that it was making Nathan more and more uncomfortable, if not a little angry, and she finally decided to help him out and suggested that they take a walk.

“That doesn’t mean you too, Dad,” Chloe said flatly.

William gave her an innocent look and set down his keys.

An awkward silence hung between the three of them while they walked along the beach. Nathan kept shooting glances at Chloe, and Max could see that they were filled with guilt and fear. It gave her a very uneasy feeling, and the fact that Chloe was doing everything she could not to look at Nathan didn’t help any. After a few minutes, Nathan muttered something about leaving the two girls to talk, and let them walk past him while he hung back.

“It’s weird hanging out with you again,” Chloe broke the silence, “and seeing you with a boyfriend.”

“I’m just as surprised as you are…about the boyfriend part, I mean,” Max admitted. “I…can’t believe I’m dating Nathan Prescott.”

Chloe let out a snort. “I can’t, either. How the hell did that happen?”

_I have no fucking idea._ “We’re both in the Vortex Club, and he asked me out. I didn’t want to be rude and say no, so…here we are now.”

“So are you dating him so you don’t hurt his feelings, or do you actually like him?”

Max pondered the question. How was she supposed to answer that? She would never date someone she wasn’t into just to spare their feelings, but she also wasn’t sure if she could ever see herself liking Nathan Prescott. He was involved in too many bad things. He wasn’t stable. He had hurt three of her friends, and if Max didn’t have her rewind powers, he would have murdered Chloe. Maybe it would have been an accident, but that doesn’t change anything. Plus, he was cruel and snobby and arrogant and whole bunch of other things. But even Max had to admit that there was more to him than that. The night she went to his room and listened while he explained everything to her proved that. She had seen a different side of him, even if it was only for a moment. It went without saying that she had a lot to learn about Nathan, and for reasons she really couldn’t explain, she wanted to learn everything about him.

That does not mean she likes him. She’s just too curious for her own good.

Remembering that Chloe was still waiting for an answer, Max said, “I…I like him.” She only said it because she didn’t want Chloe to think of her badly. Besides, it didn’t matter what she told the girl, right? Max would find a way to fix all of this and get things back to how they were.

“Well, I’ll admit that I’m not thrilled about you dating Nathan Prescott, but…I just hope you’re happy, Max,” Chloe sighed.

“I am, Chloe. You don’t have to worry about me.” Max looked down at her hands and decided to change the subject. “I’m sorry this is the first time I’ve come to see you since I moved back here.”

“At least you sent me actual letters. That’s more than any of my other friends have done…And you even wrote on that cool parchment paper. That’s so Max.”

“So pretentious,” Max scoffed. “But I love writing on it, like an English poet. You deserve the best stationary.”

“Probably easier to write than to visit me.” Chloe realized how bitter she sounded and backtracked. “I don’t mean that in a bitchy way. Not totally. You probably had your hands full with your boyfriend and everything.”

Max put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “He doesn’t come before you, Chloe. I’m sorry if I made you feel like he does. You’re much more important to me than he is.”

“Whoa, Max. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like me more than your own boyfriend,” Chloe teased.

“I do like Nathan, but…I mean, he and I haven’t been a couple for too long. I’ve known you my whole life.”

They stopped walking and turned to look at the ocean and the poor Whales that were lying dead across the beach. Looking at them made Max’s stomach turn.

“This is seriously the best view of the sunset,” Chloe said. “What do photographers call that?”

“The Golden Hour,” Max answered quietly.

“See? Without you here, I’d have no clue. Bet you could take some amazing shots…Those beached whales are so sad. I kind of know how they feel.” Chloe sighed. “At least I’m alive here with you.”

Nathan caught up with them then, not wanting to be left behind any longer, and slung an arm around Max’s shoulder. She almost shook his arm off, but decided against it.

He looked at the whales and whistled. “Christ. How the fuck does something like this happen?”

“It’s probably the end of the world,” Chloe grumbled, clearly not happy about him interrupting her and Max’s conversation, and her tone didn’t go by unnoticed.

“How did you end up in a wheelchair, anyway?” Nathan asked, a sharp edge to his tone.

Max gasped. “Nathan!”

“It’s fine, Max,” Chloe said calmly. Her eyes seemed to bore into Nathan’s when she said, “Some prick in an SUV cut me off and I flew into a ditch.”

Nathan paled, but Max didn’t notice. “Do you…remember everything?” She asked Chloe carefully.

“I saw everything in bullet time. I felt my back snap and…And that was the last thing I ever felt in my body. When I woke up at the hospital, I literally couldn’t move a muscle.”

"Do you know who caused the accident?” Nathan was trying to control his voice, but Max could hear the tremble.

Chloe’s jaw clenched and she looked down at her lap. Two times she opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. “No,” she finally said, voice filled with bitterness. Max knew that it wasn’t the answer the girl wanted to give, but for whatever reason, Chloe chose to lie.

Nathan relaxed a bit, but his shoulders were still tense. “That sucks.”

“The asshole got away while I’m stuck in a wheelchair, paralyzed. It is what it is, I guess.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I just hope he knows what he’s done to me, and I hope he feels like absolute shit about it.”

\The boy swallowed and nodded. “I’m sure he does…More than you’ll ever know.”

That’s when it finally clicked in Max’s brain. Nathan was the one who caused the accident. He’s the reason Chloe is like this, and this is why he wanted to leave. But why would he even bother to come along with her then? There was no way he hadn’t known that it was Chloe who he had hit. And why was Chloe refusing to rat him out? Max wanted to feel angry at Nathan for doing this to her best friend, and a part of her was, but she wasn’t as angry as she should have been and wanted to be. She could see the pain and guilt and fear on his face. It was the same look he had when he had confessed to her about everything that night in his room. Even in this universe you find a way to ruin your life and someone else’s, Nathan. Knowing that, a small part of her couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

“I could have ended up vanishing out of the blue like that girl from Blackwell,” Chloe said, snapping Max out of her thoughts.

“You mean Rachel Amber?” Max looked at Nathan to see if the name would have any effect on him, but it didn’t seem to. Either he was good at putting on a mask, or he really didn’t have anything to do with Rachel in this universe.

“When was the last time you talked to her?”

Chloe looked confused. “Uh, never. I just read about her in the news. I didn’t even know her name. You did?”

“No…She went missing before I moved back here.”

“I used to hang with her,” Nathan said with a grimace. “She hung around the Vortex Club a lot.”

“The Vortex Club,” Chloe let out a small laugh. “How could I forget? I take it you’re one of them now, Max?”

Max shrugged. “I guess so.” She could see the small look of hurt on Chloe’s face and sighed. “Listen, Chloe…I’m sorry I haven’t been out to see you more. That was wrong. You’re my best friend.”

Chloe’s voice was sad when she spoke. “Max, thanks for coming out to see me…even though you brought _him_ along.”

“I wanted to come with her,” Nathan snapped. “She’s my girlfriend. I have a right to be here to support her.”

“Did I say otherwise?” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Look, let’s just go back to my house. I’m getting tired, and it’s freezing out here.”

Max agreed and silently said her goodbyes to the poor whales on the beach. Nathan took her hand as they walked, and this time she let him instead of pulling away. Holding hands with Nathan was weird and awkward, but it was also kind of…nice. But as soon as Chloe was a little farther ahead of them, Nathan spun Max around to face him…and kissed her.

It wasn’t a peck or a simple kiss. This kiss was deep and desperate and there was tongue, much to Max’s surprise and horror. His hands came to cup her ass and Max gasped, face turning beet red.

_Holy shit, Nathan Prescott is kissing me! Push him away, Max! Punch him! DO SOMETHING!_

And she did do something, but it definitely wasn’t what she wanted to do. For the third time, her hormones betrayed her and she closed her eyes and moaned into the kiss.

_Seriously, Max? You’re not some horny teenager. You should be able to control yourself!_

Well, how was she supposed to control herself when a guy was shoving his tongue down her throat and the feeling she got in her stomach was stronger than ever? Even if said guy just happened to be Nathan Prescott.

Nathan finally pulled away and seeing the lust in his eyes did nothing to help her. “I’ve wanted to do that all day,” he admitted, voice a low growl.

“O-oh. R-really?” She practically squeaked. Yes, squeaked. Nathan Prescott was even messing with her voice.

“Well, that and more,” he smirked. “But if we don’t stop now, I’m not gonna be able to control myself. I don’t think you want your first time to be in public.” He paused and a mischievous look crossed his face. “I’d definitely be down for that, though.”

Max crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly self-conscious. “That’s disgusting.”

Nathan chuckled. “Baby, you have no idea how dirty I can be. All you have to do is ask.”

_Bastard. Stop saying things like that! It’s having an effect on me that I’m not entirely sure I can handle._

“Are you two coming, or should I give you some privacy?” Chloe called from up ahead, sounding disgusted.

The fact that Chloe just witnessed everything made Max blush harder. “Sorry, Chloe. We’re coming.”

“Not in the way I wish we were,” Nathan muttered. He glared at Chloe. “What a fuckin’ cockblock.”

Max scoffed and refused to meet his eyes. “Let’s go.”

They caught up to Chloe and once again walked in an uncomfortable silence. Max was thankful for it this time, though. She needed some peace and quiet for a few minutes to gather her thoughts. How the hell was she supposed to face Nathan when she fixes everything? She definitely was not going to be able to look at him the same, that was for damn sure.

She stole a glance at Nathan and nearly jumped when she saw that he was looking at her too, the corner of his mouth lifting into a half-smirk. He leaned close to her and whispered, just for her to hear, “Maybe we can finish what we started a few minutes ago…If you’re up for it, I mean. I don’t want to pressure into doing anything you don’t want to do.” Max flushed and didn’t say anything, but she silently prayed that she could find a way to get things back to how they were before. If she didn’t…Nathan Prescott would surely be the end of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. Not my best chapter. I couldn't figure out how to end it. I keep ending the chapters with Max and Nathan, which I guess isn't bad, but I don't want every chapter to end with those two and their sexual frustration. I apologize for this. I just need to find time where I can sit down and write without having to rush.
> 
> Next chapter we'll see a conversation between Chloe and Nathan about the accident, and Max will find out what really happened. 
> 
> Thank you guys for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry this is so late. I actually wrote this a while ago, but I stupidly deleted the document by accident because I'm a huge dumbass. I was so angry and I just lost the motivation to write it all again. But at last, I knew I couldn't keep you guys waiting any longer, so here it is. I promise not to wait so long to update. I feel better now that I FINALLY finished chapter 6, and I've already started writing chapter 7. It will definitely be up by next week. Updates will probably be weekly now that I've finally gotten my shit together. 
> 
> WARNING: There's a crap load of dialogue from the game towards the end of this chapter, and that's because I really didn't know how to not include a certain part. There was really no way getting around that, so I just included it. Feel free to skip over it if you don't feel like reading a bunch of dialogue from the game.
> 
> ALSO: Nathan will probably seem OOC, and that's because I tried to write him differently since it's an alternate universe and I like to think that he would be pretty different while also the same in some ways. (I'm also trying to get back into writing characters as they are in the game tbh.)

“Are you staying too?” Chloe asked Nathan in snarky tone once they were in the house.

Nathan shrugged and shoved his hands inside his jacket pockets. “I can hang around for a little while, I guess.”

“You don’t have to stay for me,” Max said quickly. “I’ll take the bus home.”

“Who said I’m staying for you?” His tone was teasing but his eyes flickered to Chloe’s for a second before they moved back to Max.

_He must be afraid that she’s going to tell me as soon as he leaves._

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to get him to leave, Max turned to Chloe. “Is it okay with you if he stays?”

Chloe frowned and looked away. “Whatever. Just as long as he doesn’t interrupt the time I have left with you.”

Nathan snorted. “I’ll sit in the corner and knit while you two ladies gossip and braid each other’s hair, okay?”

“I can’t braid her hair. I can’t move my arms, _remember_?” Nathan glared at her and Chloe gave him a smug look in return.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Chloe’s room was kind of cool. Very high-tech. Even Nathan had been impressed, though Max had caught the wince when he saw all of the machines. She couldn’t even imagine what it must be like to see the person whose life you changed for the worst. It was all there, right in front of him, and it was obvious that the guilt was clawing at him. Not that he would ever admit it. He wouldn’t offer an apology to Chloe. He would think the words desperately, but he would never say them out loud.

“So, how are you supposed to take a dump?” He asked out of the blue, leaning against the end of Chloe’s bed.

“Seriously, Nathan?” Max groaned.

“Either a nurse or my mom wipe my ass,” Chloe answered nonchalantly.

Nathan wrinkled his nose. “I’m sorry I asked.”

“I bet you are.” Chloe turned her head to Max. “Can you bring me some water? I’m dying of thirst.”

“Of course,” Max said. She jumped up to grab the cup of water and held it while Chloe took a long sip.

“Oh man, no wonder my throat is dry,” Chloe said. “I don’t think I’ve talked this much in a whole year.”

“Have you ever thought about doing a podcast or something?”

Nathan burst out laughing. “A podcast, Max? Really?”

“It’s just an idea,” Max replied defensively. “And I was talking to Chloe.”

He put up his hands in mock-surrender and went quiet.

“I hate to say it,” Chloe said, “but he’s right. What would I do? Tell everyone about the sad and lonely life of Chloe Price?”

Max gave her a look. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know it’s not…But either way, no.”

They talked for a little bit longer while Nathan listened but remained silent. When Chloe suggested she and Max watch a movie, he understood that it was his cue to get the fuck out.

“If you’re staying tonight, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning,” he told Max, planting a quick kiss on her lips.

Max ignored the gagging sounds Chloe made and fought against the blush that was trying to appear. “O-okay. That’s fine. Thanks.”

“No problem, babe.”

Nathan left, and the two girls put on the movie. Soon it felt like old times, just the two of them having a sleepover and watching _Blade runner._ Even if it was in an alternate universe, it was still nice to relax and spend time with Chloe. They hadn’t gotten to do it very often since they had reconnected in what Max likes to call, _the real universe._ That’s what it is, isn’t it? This universe is fake, in a way, while the other is how things are supposed to be.

Chloe fell asleep halfway through the movie, leaving Max to stay up by herself and finish it. She was fine with that, though. It was nice to see the peaceful look on Chloe’s face as the girl slept. Max knew that once she got back to the real universe, she wouldn’t get to see it again for a long time. Not until Rachel is found, at least. And seeing how Rachel is really dead…It was only a matter of time before Chloe found out the truth.

 

* * *

 

 

True to his word, Nathan showed up at Chloe’s house a little after 10:00 the next day. He almost texted Max to just meet him outside, but there was something he had to do. Something he should have done a long time ago.

“Nathan,” William greeted when he answered the door.

Nathan nodded at the man. “I’m here to get Max.”

“She’s in Chloe’s room. Come on in.”

“Thanks.”

“Can I get you something to drink?”

Nathan could barely stand the way William was being so polite to him despite knowing that he was a Prescott. The name was popular around town, but not in a very good way.

“No, thanks.”

William could see that the boy was uncomfortable and offered him a small smile. He nodded towards Chloe’s room. “Well, don’t let me keep you. Head on in.”

Nathan didn’t need to be told twice. He gave William a quick nod and walked to Chloe’s room. He lifted his hand to knock on the door—and paused.

_You really wanna go in there and see it all again, Prescott?_

No, he didn’t. He didn’t want to see Chloe stuck in her “bed,” unable to grab a cup of fucking water because she couldn’t move her arms. He didn’t want to see her hooked up to all those machines, or see the sadness and anger and the _look at what you’ve done to me_ in her eyes every time she looked at him. He didn’t want to hear the bitterness in her voice when she spoke to him or about him. He just didn’t want to do it. It was becoming too much, and so was the guilt.

But he told Max he would be here to pick her up, and he needed to talk to Chloe. So with a shaky fist he knocked on the door.

Max opened the door almost immediately and blinked in surprise when she saw Nathan. “Uh…”

He chuckled. “I told you I would be here to bring you home, remember?”

“Oh! Right. It completely slipped my mind.” She looked back at Chloe who was looking down at her bed. “I just have to grab Chloe something. Can you wait here?”

_No_ , was what he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to seem like some fucking puppy dog for following his girlfriend around everywhere, so he just said, “Yeah.”

“Okay…” Max looked between Chloe and Nathan uneasily. “Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”

“How long will you be?” Nathan tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

“Five minutes tops.”

_A lot can happen in five minutes. Fuck._ “Oh, okay. Yeah, I think we can resist the urge to rip each other’s throats out for that long.”

“Not like I could do much, anyway,” Chloe muttered, but he ignored her.

 

* * *

 

As soon as Max left, Nathan felt an urge to go with her. All he had to do was make up an excuse, say he had to go to the bathroom or something. But he knew what needed to happen. It was inevitable at this point.

She wasn’t saying anything, but she didn’t have to. The angry looks and small comments made it clear that she knew what he had done to her. She was paralyzed because of him. All this equipment in the room, all the machines—they were because of him. She no longer had a future ahead of her. And her parents were probably drowning in debt because of him, because there was no way _they_ would be able to afford all of this. He had ruined their lives, too.

All of those reasons were keeping him from running out of the room like a coward. There was no way he could ever make this right, but the very least he could do was apologize. He wasn’t a heartless bastard. He _did_ feel extremely guilty and sorry for what he’d done, and it had been eating away at him ever since it all happened. He had just been too afraid to do anything about it.

But he was here now, and fuck if he was gonna miss his chance.

There were a million things he wanted to say, but they all formed into two, whispered and broken words. “I’m sorry.” _Come on, Nathan, you can do better than that._ He was about to say more, but her laugh stopped him. It was soft and sad and barely even a laugh.

“Are you?” Her eyes were practically burning a hole in his, but he didn’t look away.

“More than I ever thought I could be.” His words trembled unsteadily and his throat was beginning to tighten. It was getting harder to push the words out. “I know nothing I say will make this okay, but you need to know that I’ll never forgive myself for what I’ve done.”

Chloe laughed again, but this time it was filled with disgust. “And I hope you never do. I can’t even believe you had the balls to show up here.”

“Half of it was for Max,” he admitted with a small shrug. “The other half was because I needed to see…I needed to see the damage I’ve done.” It wasn’t a lie. He had needed to see what had happened to her. He had heard things around school, but he still had needed to see for himself.

Nothing could have prepared him for that moment when he first saw her in the wheelchair.

“Well, did you get a good look?” There was a newfound anger in her eyes and her voice was rising. “Are you happy now that you’ve seen all the pain you’ve caused?”

“Look, I-“

“You don’t even fucking know half of it,” she cut him off sharply. “You think you do, but you don’t. I’m stuck in this bed _dying_ because of you!”

Nathan inhaled sharply. He tried to think of a response, but what could he say? There just weren’t words. Saying I’m sorry again was probably the last thing she wanted to hear.

That didn’t stop him from trying.

“I…Look, I…This wasn’t what…I didn’t mean to,” he said in a cracked voice.

“You didn’t mean to.” Chloe’s voice was sharp as a whip. “You didn’t mean to drive me into a ditch and then take off?”

“I shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve come forward. Believe me, I know that. I’m a fucking pussy for doing the opposite. Is that what you wanna hear?”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you.” She shook her head and finally looked away. “I just want you to get the fuck out of my sight.”

And he could do that, because there wasn’t anything left to say. He being there was only making it worse. The only thing he could now was leave her alone.

It was when his hand was on the doorknob that a question popped into his mind, one he really needed to know the answer to. “How’d you figure out it was me?”

“I recognized your car, dumbass,” she said, venom dripping from her tone. “Besides…I saw you for a split second before you hit me. I never forgot your face, and I never will.”

“Are you gonna tell Max?”

“No.” Her answer took him by surprise and he turned slightly to look at her over his shoulder. “I should. And believe me, I want to. But I’m not gonna hurt Max like that. I see how you two are together, and even though you took everything away from me, I refuse to take anything away from her.”

He nodded slowly. “Thanks, I guess.”

“Don’t think for one second that it’s for you, Prescott,” she snapped. “I’m doing it for Max. She’s my best friend, and I’m going to spare her the pain of knowing the kind of guy her boyfriend really is…even though maybe she should know.”

“Maybe,” Nathan agreed quietly. When she didn’t say anything more, he took that as his cue to get out, and he left. As soon as he closed her door, he leaned back against it and closed his eyes.

In a way, that went better than he expected.

“Are you okay?”

Nathan opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Max. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Did something happen in there?”

“Let’s just say that your best friend sure as fuck ripped me a new one.”

“Well, that’s just Chloe being Chloe,” Max let out a small laugh. “Try not to take it too personally.”

Nathan attempted to smirk. “I don’t think she would have cut into me like that if I wasn’t a Prescott.” _If I wasn’t the guy who put her in a fucking wheelchair and destroyed her fucking life._

“Well…maybe,” Max shrugged. “Um, just let me give Chloe this, and I’ll be right out.”

He didn’t bother to ask about the needle in her hand. “I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Sure.”

This time, _she_ was the one who initiated the kiss, and she had absolutely no idea why. She didn’t _want_ to kiss him…well, not entirely. She just…forgot for a second that he wasn’t actually her boyfriend and this wasn’t the real world. How she could have possibly forgotten something huge like that, she didn’t know. She had just gotten used to playing the role of his girlfriend, she guessed.

It wasn’t even that much of a kiss. She had never kissed a guy before so she had no idea what she was doing. And it only lasted, like, five seconds...which was definitely five seconds too long.

“Wow,” he said once she pulled away, “that’s the first time _you_ kissed _me_ in days.”

“It’s been a weird couple of days,” she mumbled, heart pounding and face reddening.

“Yeah.” He playfully pinched Max’s cheek, laughing when she made a noise of protest and swatted his hand away, and started to walk away. “Try not to be too long,” he said to her over his shoulder before he left the house.

Max stared after him for a moment, a little bit shocked that she had actually just kissed Nathan. She shook the thought off. She had to worry about Chloe right now.

“There you are,” Chloe said breathlessly when Max entered the room. “What took you so long?”

“Uh, sorry,” Max replied, mentally scolding herself for getting caught up talking to Nathan, “I was just…”

“Making out with your boyfriend?”

Max winced. “We weren’t making out, Chloe.”

“Whatever,” Chloe sighed, flinching pain. “Give me the blue pill.”

Max furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m sorry. I’m nosy, but not precise.”

“Go ahead and plug it right in,” Chloe explained. “It’s so easy. And painless.”

“Um, okay, but get ready to yell for your folks if I screw up.” Max tried to keep her fingers from shaking as she plugged it in. The last thing she wanted to do was accidentally kill her best friend.

“Oh, trust me, I will,” Chloe said, feeling relieved when Max plugged it in without incident. “Of course, my pain just keeps getting worse…but you caught me on a good day.” She smiled gently at Max. “Max, I’m so grateful that I’m even able to hang out with you. See, I’m getting mushy,” she said with a shaky laugh. “I’m already high.”

“You are so adorable,” Max said, almost sadly. “Do you want anything else?”

“Um, stop me if I’m being too emo, but can you grab me one of those photo albums over there? I’d like to check out some old pictures of us when we were kids.”

“Please. My diary is like emo ground zero. Plus, Max Caulfield does not pass up a photo op with Chloe Price. Ever.” Max grabbed the photo album off the dresser next to Chloe’s bed, pulled up a chair, and flipped open the photo album. “I hope this is okay.”

“Perfect.” Chloe looked down at the pictures, face immediately lighting up. “Oh my god, look how little we are there! We look like toys!”

“I remember that day by the lighthouse.”

“My dad was pissed at us. He actually tried to give us a time-out!”

“And you laughed at him,” Max chuckled. “My dad would have banished me.” She turned the page.

“Whoa, awesome picture,” Chloe said fondly. “We look so badass in our pirate gear.”

“We should have taken over Arcadia Bay when we had the chance.”

Chloe glanced at Max. “There’s still time for you…”

_I’m not so sure that there is,_ Max thought to herself.

“Max, are you really happy with Nathan?”

Max paused and looked at Chloe. “Where did that come from?”

“I’m just wondering,” Chloe answered in a soft voice.

“…Yes, I’m happy with him.” It was the best answer she could give Chloe. Saying otherwise would only start a long conversation that she didn’t really want to have right now.

Chloe nodded, seeming to accept the answer. “Okay.”

Max didn’t question why Chloe would suddenly ask that, and turned the page.

_Oh my god…this photo…_

“Oh man, there we are making pancakes. I love that shot of us,” Chloe smiled. “It’s hard to believe that my dad took that picture only five years ago.”

“Literally seems like only yesterday.”

“I wish it was.”

“Me too.”

_This photo…Maybe I could…_

Chloe noticed the look on Max’s face, and tears began to well up in her eyes. “Listen, Max, my respiratory system is failing and…and it’s only getting worse. I’ve heard the doctors talking about it when they thought I was zonked out. So I know I’m just putting off the inevitable, while my parents suffer along…and I will, too. This isn’t how I want things to end.”

“What?” Max gasped, not believing what she was hearing. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that being with you again has been so special. I just wanted to feel like when we were kids running around Arcadia Bay…and everything was possible. And you made me feel that way today. I want this time with you to be my last memory…Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Max said, feeling the wetness on her cheeks, “I do.”

“All you have to do is crank up the IV to eleven…” Chloe’s look was pleading, begging Max to do this one thing for her. It was the only thing that she wanted.

Max wanted to say no. She wanted to refuse Chloe’s request, because how the hell could she bring herself to do this? It would be murder. And she’s seen Chloe die once already (twice if you count the time the girl got her foot stuck in the train tracks), and she didn’t want to see it happen again.

But at the same time, how _could_ she refuse? If this is what Chloe wants, who was she to refuse that? In this world, Chloe was dying slowly and painfully. Max couldn’t let her die that way…not when Chloe could die peacefully in her sleep, happy and content and thinking about the time she got to spend with her best friend after what felt like so many years.

_I have to do this for Chloe. I have to. I can’t be selfish right now._

“I’ll just drift off to sleep…dreaming of us here together…forever,” Chloe said, the pleading look becoming more desperate.

It was final. Max stood up and cranked up the IV to the number Chloe said. She didn’t even want to know how Chloe knew what number would kill her.

“Thank you so much.” Chloe gave Max a very relieved smile, eyes starting to feel heavy. “I’m so proud of you for following your dreams. Don’t forget about me.”

“Never,” Max choked out.

“I love you, Max. See you around.”

Max looked down at the picture of the two of them. “Sooner than you think.”

And just like that, Chloe was gone.

It was a long moment before Max could do anything. When she finally shook herself out of it, she turned her attention to the picture and focused. “I’m sorry, William,” she whispered. She picked up the photo and did the same thing she did before that got her in this alternate world in the first place.

 

* * *

 

 

Watching William walk out that door was harder than Max thought. She thought she was ready, because this is what had to happen in order to get everything back to normal, but she wasn’t. It took almost everything inside of her to stop him once again from leaving.

_This is how it’s supposed to be, Max,_ she reminded herself. _It_ _fucking sucks, but…this is what’s right._

And when she was suddenly in Chloe’s room (she didn’t have any idea how she got there, but she wasn’t going to question it right now), she knew that she had made the right choice.

She stared at the board of evidence she and Chloe must have put together while she was in the other universe, making sure that she was actually back in the real world, and then turned around to find Chloe sitting at her desk, blue hair and tattoos and _not_ in a wheelchair.

“Chloe...you’re alive. Yes!” Max ran over to her best friend and wrapped her arms around the girl.

Chloe jumped in surprise. “Whoa! Down, Max! You get one kiss and now you’re all over me.” She laughed despite herself.

“I’m just…I’m just—I’m so glad you’re here!” Max could barely contain her excitement, but she didn’t care how weird Chloe must think she is right now. She had her best friend back, alive and normal, and everything was how it should be now, horrible or not. Nathan’s the same crazy prick, and he’s no longer her boyfriend. And-

_Oh. Shit. SHIT._

“Chloe, where was I last night?” Max asked, afraid of the answer.

Chloe raised her eyebrows. “Max, are you high? Or are you suffering from memory loss all of a sudden?”

“Seriously, Chloe, where was I?”

“You were here with me, remember? We were up all night playing ‘CSI: Arcadia Bay,’ trying to put all this info together.”

_Oh no…_

“So I didn’t go to see Nathan last night?” Max’s voice was practically filled with dread. This was _so_ not good.

“No, you didn’t,” Chloe frowned. “Were you messing with time while I was sleeping?”

Max shook her head. “No, I…I’m just tired, I guess.”

“Well, wake up, sunshine. We have work to do.” Chloe turned back around in her seat and began to type away at the computer.

Max’s shoulder’s sagged as she took a seat on Chloe’s bed. _Time to face the music, Max._ She took out her cell phone and turned on the screen.

**9 Missed Calls**

**5 Unread Messages**

She winced and opened the messages.

** you coming or not Caulfield? i’m not waiting all fucking night 4 u **

** what the fuck Caulfield! you either hurry the fuck up or u can forget the whole fucking thing **

** dont bother coming cuz u lost ur chance. i can handle this on my own. fuck u **

** Max im super fucking high right now and i need u to come over cuz i cant fucking get ur lame ugly ass out of my head and its driving me fucking insane. what the fuck have u done to me Caulfield **

** FUCK ignore that last text. seriously. anways stay the fuck away from me. K? next time you try and come near me you wont like what happens **

****

Max read the messages about ten times, feeling a mixture between amused, angry, disappointed, and frustrated. She really just lost her chance to help him, didn’t she?

No. Screw what he said. She was going to find him and talk to him. There was no way she was going to let herself lose this chance, consequences be damned. Even if he wouldn’t budge, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. He was going to get her help whether he liked it or not. The idiot couldn’t do this on his own.

“Chloe,” she said, voice suddenly strong, “I’m sorry, but I really need you to take me back to school. There’s something I have to do.”

Chloe turned around and sighed. “Max, seriously? We really have to-“She paused when she saw the look on Max’s face. “Whoa…what’s that look for?”

Max stood up and grabbed Chloe’s keys off the floor and threw them to her. “Let’s just say that this is the look of a girl who is done putting up with a certain someone’s bullshit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, I'm currently writing chapter 7 so it'll be up soon :) Thank you all for reading and being so patient with me. You definitely won't have to wait so long for another chapter again.


	7. Chapter 7

Max had to resist the urge to tell Chloe to drive faster. She had kept Nathan waiting the entire night, right? What’s fifteen more minutes?

Besides, she didn’t exactly want to get into a car crash right after she just saw what it could do to Chloe.

She sent Nathan a quick text. **_I’m sorry! Something really important came up last night._**

Her phone dinged a minute later. Nathan. It was almost pathetic how nervous she suddenly felt.

** 2 fuckin bad caulfield. U lost ur chance. U can fuck off. I don’t need ur help anyway. **

“Is that lover boy?” Chloe asked, reaching down to turn on the radio.

“Uh, yeah,” Max answered distractedly, typing out her reply to Nathan.

**_ Where are you? _ **

** the fuck does it matter? **

**_ Can you just tell me where you are, please? _ **

** my dorm. dont even bother coming here. I wont answer the door **

**_ I’ll bang on it until you let me in :p _ **

** go ahead dumbass. watch what happens **

Max felt a smile tug at her lips.

**_ Okay. I’ll see you in five minutes  _ ** **_ J _ **

** no u wont. stop with the fucking emojies **

** J  ** ** J  ** ** J **

** u think ur funny? cuz all ur doing is pissing me the fuck off **

**_ Sorry  _ ** **_ L _ **

** ….ur so fucking dead caulfield **

She rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her bag.

“What did Warren want?” Chloe asked.

“I was just letting him know that I’m on my way, and that I’m sorry for not showing up last night.” Max looked out the window, another roll of guilt washing over her, and saw that they were at the school.

Chloe pulled up to the school and stopped the car. “Here we are. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Max’s heart began to race at the thought of seeing Nathan, and it wasn’t in a good way. She was nervous about him changing his mind about letting her help him. Maybe he made it clear that he didn’t want her help anymore, but she knew that he did, and she wanted to get him to change his mind.

It would also be hard to look him in the eyes after what happened in the alternate universe.

“Are you going or not?” Chloe badgered, “You don’t want to keep your boyfriend waiting.”

“Thanks for the ride, Chloe,” Max said, ignoring her friends comment.

“You’re welcome, Max.”

“We’ll meet up later and finish what we started earlier?”

“Definitely.”

Max gave Chloe a smile and got out of the truck. She gave the girl a short wave and watched her drive away. When Chloe was out of sight, Max took a deep breath.

“You’d better be there, Nathan, or I’ll track you down,” she muttered to herself as she began to walk to the boy’s dorm.

 

* * *

 

 

“She’s coming _here?_ ” Victoria snapped, hands gripping the skirt she was about to take off.

Nathan didn’t look up from his cell phone and shrugged. “Bitch can’t take no for an answer,” he said in a bored tone.

Victoria crossed her arms and gave him a look. “Since when does Nathan Prescott give into anyone? Especially Max Caulfield.”

“Hey, I just don’t want her bothering me all fucking day.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why is she coming to see you, anyway? Is there something going on between you two?” There was a hint of hurt and slight anger in her voice.

Nathan paused mid-text and set his phone down next to him. “Fuck no,” he laughed. “You think I’d ever be interested in _Caulfield?_ My standards are higher than that, honey.” _I just want to kiss her-just once-to get her out of my system. Then things can go back to how they were._

She stared at him for a moment, then laughed as well. “Right. I don’t know what I was thinking. Who would be interested in that thing?”

“Exactly. So don’t worry about it. She just wants to talk to me about the whole suspension bullshit. I’ll give you a call when she fucks off?”

“You’d better.” Victoria blew him a kiss. “See you later, hot stuff.” She opened the door, prepared to leave—and bumped right into Max.

“Oh!” Max gasped. “Uh, sorry…”

“Watch where you’re going, idiot,” Victoria snapped. “What were you doing, eavesdropping?”

Nathan looked on, amused.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, Victoria,” Max said with a bit of an attitude that Nathan couldn’t deny he liked, “I literally just got here.”

“Whatever.” Victoria turned to Nathan and winked. “I look forward to later,” she purred, then pushed past Max and left.

Nathan chuckled at the confused look on Max’s face. A second later her eyes widened in understanding.

“Um, I thought you two were best friends,” she said, a sick feeling that she couldn’t explain settling into the pit of her stomach.”

He shrugged. “We’re best friends who fuck. Now, are you gonna stand there, or are you gonna get your ass in here?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. What he and Victoria did was none of her business.

Hurrying into the room, she closed the door behind her and cautiously took a seat on his couch. “I’m really sorry about last night,” she said sincerely.

He dug around in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. “You’re the one who missed your chance, not me.” He lit the cigarette and took a long drag.

“You shouldn’t smoke. Cigarettes will kill you,” Max chided.

“All the good shit kills you. But that’s why it’s good.” He reached over to grab an ashtray and flicked the ash. “So what was so important that you couldn’t even shoot me a fucking text?”

Max had already thought of an excuse before she got here. It wasn’t a very good one, but it would have to do.

“Chloe’s father passed away five years ago—bad car accident. Anyway, she was having a super hard time last night and really needed me to be there for her. I know I should have texted you to tell you I wouldn’t be able to make it, but I…I just forgot. Sorry.”

Nathan stared at her while he smoked his cigarette. His eyes never left her face, and she looked down at her lap to avoid meeting his eyes. His staring was just making her…uncomfortable.

“I’ll let it slide this once, Caulfield,” he said after a while, putting out his cigarette, “But if you stand me up again…” He didn’t finish his threat, but she understood what he was saying.

“I won’t,” she promised.

They sat in silence. Nathan kept flicking his lighter on and off while Max just watched him, unsure of what was coming next.

She cleared her throat. “So…are you gonna tell me who’s behind all this, or…?”

Nathan sighed and stood up from his bed. “I guess so. But we have to go somewhere first.”

“What?” Max drew her eyebrows together stood up as well. “Where?”

He had a lost look on his face, as if he was there with her psychically, but not mentally.

“I’m gonna show you where Rachel is buried.”

 

* * *

 

Max felt cold.

_No…no no no no no no._

If someone had a dark sense of humor, they would probably find it almost funny of the fact that this entire time, Rachel was buried in the junkyard. In the same spot that she and Chloe had walked over many times, had laughed and had fun together. She had been _right there_ , right under their noses, and they hadn’t even known.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” she moaned, leaning down to rest her hands on her knees.

Nathan had an emotionless expression on his face. “Why the fuck would you throw up? Not like I’m showing you the body or anything,” he sneered. His voice was harsh, but Max knew that it was just his way of covering up how he really felt.

“Nathan, I’ve been here with Chloe before,” she said, leaning back up, “We both walked over this spot, and Rachel’s been right under our feet all along. Do you have any idea how I feel right now?”

“Can’t be as bad as how I’m feeling. Besides, it’s not like you could have known she was here.”

“I know that, but the thought that she’s-“ Her stomach lurched and covered her mouth. “Yeah, I’m seriously gonna be sick.”

He rolled his eyes. “Better get it out here,” he warned, “because if you throw up in my car, I’ll kick your ass and make you walk the rest of the way back.”

Max closed her eyes, willing the nausea away, and then shot him a glare. “Do you have a decent bone in your body?”

“Only when it comes to the people I like,” he snorted.

 _Like Victoria._ Max mentally slapped herself. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. And why would she in the first place? It’s not her business, and she doesn’t care what they do.

“Why did you bring me here?” She asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. He crouched down and placed one hand on the ground, looking down at it solemnly.

Max waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. A part of her wondered if he bringing her here was a sign of him beginning to trust her.

“Who…Who made you bury her here?” She practically whispered.

Nathan tensed and looked up at her. “Are you sure you wanna know? Because once you do, you’re in this balls deep like I am.”

His choice of words made her wince. “I’m already in too deep. I couldn’t go back even if I wanted to. And I don’t want to.”

He let out a soft noise of agreement. “You have a point. You’re way too fucking nosy for your own good, you know that?”

“I’m gonna choose to take that as a compliment,” she answered with a small laugh.

She could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile on his lips. “Okay,” he sighed, “you know wanna know who it is? It’s Mark Jefferson.”

Max froze, blood running cold.

_Mark Jefferson. Mark Jefferson. Mark Jefferson. Mark Jefferson._

His name echoed in Max’s mind, over and over again like a broken record. She stood there, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, and she knew she probably looked like an idiot, but she didn’t care.

“Can…Can you repeat that, please?” She squeaked.

Nathan stood up and studied her expression. “You gone deaf or something, Caulfield? I said it’s Mark Jefferson.”

“No…No, it can’t be.” She placed her hands on the sides of her head and turned away from Nathan, not wanting him to see the tears gathering in her eyes. Mark Jefferson, a man she trusted and stupidly had a small crush on, was behind everything. He murdered Rachel, made Nathan drug girls, and did horrible things to them. This man who she admired and thought was brilliant is a monster.

“Yo, Caulfield,” Nathan interrupted her thoughts, “don’t tell me you’re gonna pussy out on me now.”

She spun around and spat, “Can you just give me a fucking minute?”

Nathan raised an eyebrow and took a step back. “Jesus. What the hell is your problem?”

“What’s my problem? My problem is that my favorite teacher’s into taking pictures of innocent girls and is a killer. That’s my problem, Nathan.”

“Well, look at that, the teacher’s pet finds out that teacher isn’t perfect by any-fucking-means. Sorry to crush your dirty little fantasies, Caulfield.” He was angry now. “If you can’t handle this, Max, then get the fuck out of here.”

“I can handle this,” she insisted, just as angry, “I just needed a minute to process it. You don’t have to be such an asshole.”

“Of course I don’t have to be. I just choose to be.”

“Why?”

 _Because I don’t know how to be anything else._ “Because it’s fun.”

He knew it was a lie, and he knew that Max knew it was a lie, but the look on his face stopped her from saying anything about it. Like fuck was he gonna get into a long-ass conversation with Caulfield about his fucking issues.

“Get in the car,” he snapped at her, “we’re going back.”

“Nathan-“she began.

“Shut the fuck up and get in the car, Max. Or walk.”

She wanted to say something, but she could tell by Nathan’s mood that shutting her mouth was the best thing to do, so she bit her tongue and followed him to his car.

 

* * *

 

 

“So…don’t get mad at me for asking this…”

“Choose your words carefully,” Nathan warned, eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

“I just…Um…Did you and Jefferson have, like, a thing?” She regretted the question as soon as it left her mouth. Why the hell would she ask something like that?

Nathan glanced at her sharply, eyes wide. “What the fuck…? Why would you-? Fuck no!” He shook his head in disgust. “I’m not a faggot, unlike you.”

Okay, she should have seen that comment coming. “I’m not a lesbian, Nathan.”

“So you and that Chloe bitch have _nothing_ going on?”

“No. Nothing. She’s my best friend.” Even when she said the words, there was some feeling of doubt. Okay, so yeah, she’s thought about her feelings for Chloe. And yes, they kissed. But did she actually have a crush on her best friend? Maybe. But if she did, it wasn’t big enough for her to try anything. The kiss had been a stupid dare, something she did just to see Chloe’s reaction, nothing more.

Nathan chuckled and shrugged. “Whatever you say, princess.”

Max leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl. “I’d like to end this conversation.”

“Fine by me.”

They finally reached the school, and Max couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. She jumped out as soon as she could and slammed his car door harder than necessary.

“Hey, watch it,” he snapped, “or you’ll be paying for the damages.”

She rolled her eyes. “I think the car is fine, Nathan.”

“Whatever.” He came around the side of the car and began to walk with her back towards their dorms. “When’s the next time you can meet up?”

She thought for a moment. “Uh, probably sometime tomorrow.”

“Yeah, all right.”

An awkward silence fell over them.

“So…” Max began to say, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Uh-huh.”

Nathan looked past Max and suddenly his face drained of color. His hands began to shake, and when Max turned around to see what he was looking at, her face drained of color as well.

“Hello, you two,” Jefferson said, looking between Nathan and Max curiously. “What are you guys up to?”

Max opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She couldn’t talk to this man right now. Not now. She didn’t know if she could control what would come out of her mouth if she did.

Luckily, Nathan spoke up. “We’re just talking. That a crime?”

Jefferson gave him a look. “Of course not,” he said calmly. “Nathan, can I speak with you in my office?”

“Is he in trouble?” Max asked, voice shaking. She looked at Nathan and saw the anger and fear on his face, and suddenly had the strong urge to protect him.

Jefferson seemed surprised at her question. “No, he’s not in trouble. I just want to discuss an assignment with him.”

 _Lier._ “Well, can I come too? I want to talk to you about my photo for the contest-“

“Oh, nobody gives a fuck about you’re shitty pictures,” Nathan groaned. “Go back to you dorm or something, Caulfield.”

In other words, he was telling her to stay out of this and go back to her dorm for now because it’s safer there. Max understood that, but she didn’t want to leave Nathan alone with him.

“I _really_ need to talk about this-“

“Seriously, Caulfield. Go.” His tone was more serious than she’s ever heard it.

“Nathan, don’t speak to Max like that,” Jefferson said sternly, though Max doubted he honestly didn’t give a shit. He was just playing teacher—an act.

“Whatever, old man. Let’s just get this over with,” Nathan replied harshly. He looked at Max. “What the fuck are you still doing here?”

Max looked down at the ground and began to walk away. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t risk making things worse for Nathan. No doubt Jefferson was suspicious enough.

Her phone buzzed.

** don’t worry bout me, caulfield. done this a million times. just stay in ur dorm and ill come see u when im done. and next time try to act more natural u dumb fuck. **

Max shook her head and sighed. She _really_ hoped Nathan was going to be okay. The idea of anything happening to him scared her. And the fact that it actually scared her, scared her even more


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: This chapter has been edited. It originally had sexual content between Nathan and Max. I decided that it happened way too soon so I changed it. Because of this, almost every chapter after this will be updated to fit the new edit. 
> 
>  
> 
> So after this chapter things are going to escalate even more, which means there won't be too much Nathan/Max moments in the next two chapters or so. There's a big reason why, and it has to do with what happens in this chapter, but we're also now at episode 4 of the game, so shit will be going down. 
> 
> Because of that, I'm giving you guys a little something something *wink*

"Let's make this quick," Nathan said as he stormed into the classroom, "I'm not in the mood to chit chat."

Jefferson closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Giving Nathan an angry look, he said, "What were you talking to Max Caulfield about?"

Nathan perched himself on the edge of the man's desk and crossed his arms over his chest, almost defiantly. "None of your fucking business."

Jefferson was across the room in a flash. Nathan tried to jump up to dodge out of the way, but the older man's hand was around his neck before he could.

"You really wanna play this game with me, Prescott?" He snarled, giving the younger boy's throat a tight squeeze, "Because you'll lose. If I find out you told Max anything, I'll kill you. Do you understand me?" Nathan didn't answer, and Jefferson's squeezed his throat harder. "I said, do you understand?"

"Yes," Nathan managed to gasp out, "yes I understand."

"Excellent."

Nathan glared at him and ripped his hand off his throat.

Jefferson took a step back. "Have you made any progress with Victoria?"

 _Oh, fuck off._ "Yeah, I have it all planned out," Nathan answered. It wasn't true, but he wasn't stupid enough to tell Jefferson that.

"Great." Jefferson walked to the door and opened it. "All right, you can go now."

Nathan couldn't get out of there fast enough. Right when he was about to leave, Jefferson placed his hand on his shoulder and gripped it tight.

"Remember what I said, Nathan. I'd hate to see you laying right next to Rachel."

* * *

 

 

_1) Decipher Frank's logbook_

_2) Get Nathan's phone to find out where he's been during the Vortex club parties with Kate and Rachel. And see whatever hidden shit he's got in his messages._

Max bit her pencil, hesitating. She needed to do the last part for Chloe's benefit. After all, she's still technically teamed up with her best friend. She had to pretend she didn't know a damn thing about any of this. But on the other hand, if she purposely snuck into Nathan's dorm and took his cell phone, and he found out, he'd most likely-no, he'd _definitely_ freak out. Then she would lose the trust that she had been trying so hard to get.

_Maybe I can ask Nathan if I can borrow his phone._

It was wishful thinking, but she could still try, right? She sighed and went back to writing.

_3) Find out more about The Dark Room._

There. All done. The only things that were left were checking with Nathan about his phone and possibly coming up with a plan that would ensure Chloe wouldn't find out about certain things--yet. It made Max feel like the biggest douche in the world, but right now she had no other choice. It would be a cold day in hell before Chloe would agree to team up with Nathan.

A brisk knock on her door started her out of her thoughts. "Yo, Caulfield, open up!" Nathan called from the other side of the door.

_Speaking of Nathan..._

She jumped off her bed and threw open the door. "Are you okay?" She demanded.

Nathan blinked, surprised, and then rolled his eyes. "I told you not to worry about me, Caulfield. I can take care of myself." He pushed past her into her room and closed the door behind him.

"Well, what happened? What did he want?"

"To warn me not to tell you anything, find out how my plan's going with bringing Victoria to him-"

"Wait, Victoria's his next victim?" Max interrupted.

Nathan nodded. "Did I not tell you about that?"

"No, you didn't."

"Shit. Well, I'm telling you now." He ran a hand through his hair sat down on her bed, sighing.

Max sat down next to him. "What...What are you gonna do?"

He stared at something in the corner of her room and shrugged. "I have no fucking idea. I'm not hurting my best friend, that's for damn sure."

"But then there's Jefferson..."

"Exactly." He let out a scoff and shook his head.  "I doubt we can take care of this asshole before the party"

"Maybe we can," Max tried to sound hopeful, "we just have to come up with a plan and get started right away."

"Like that's gonna be fucking easy." Nathan turned to face her and opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes focused on the paper sitting between them. "The fuck is this?"

Max's heart began to race as Nathan picked up the paper and read it. "U-Uh..."

"What the fuck, Caulfield?" He glared up at her angrily, hands beginning to clench.

"Let me explain," Max said quickly. "Look, Chloe doesn't know that I'm helping you, and she wants to find Rachel. It's not like I can just stop helping her and tell her the truth, you know."

Nathan relaxed a bit, but he still looked pissed. "And why the fuck do you need my phone? I already told you almost everything."

"You did, but Chloe doesn't know that. Besides, I was going to ask your permission to use it. So...can I?"

"Fucking idiot," he hissed, "if you do that, she'll know that I'm apart of all this."

"Nathan, I'm not going to get you in trouble. I won't let Chloe see the phone. I'll just pretend to look through it and come up with something. Okay?"

Nathan sat there in silence for what was only a moment, but felt so much longer to Max. There was an expression on his face that she couldn't read, and that scared her a bit.

"Fine," he finally snapped, "whatever. But you better not go through my phone, Caulfield, or show that dyke bitch anything." Another expression passed over his face that she couldn't read. "But first you have to give me something."

"What do you mean?" She asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Here's the thing," Nathan began, "I kinda wanna kiss you."

_I kinda wanna kiss you._

Max gawked at him for a moment, unsure if she heard him correctly. "You want to _what_?"

He sighed, getting frustrated. "I said I wanna kiss you. Don't ask me why, 'cause I really have no fucking clue." He wasn't going to tell her that she's been on his mind constantly lately.

"Maybe I don't want to kiss you, Prescott," she shot back, suddenly feeling angry. Who the hell did he think he was? "In fact, I definitely don't want to. Get out of my room."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You don't wanna kiss me, huh? You sure about that?" He smirked and suddenly leaned in so close to her that their lips were barely an inch away from each other.

She jumped, mind beginning to cloud over and heart beginning to race, but when she tried to pulled away, he cupped the back of her head and held her there. _Bastard_! "N-Nathan--stop. This isn't happening. I'm serious."

"I think this is happening," he murmured. His voice was husky and all it did was make Max feel...excited. "I think you want this, Max. Just like you wanted it when I had you pinned up against your door and mine those two times."

"That's not fair! It's the body's natural reaction. I can't control it!"

"Maybe that's true, but don't for a second act like you don't want to kiss me right now. You're curious. I can tell just by the way you're looking at me. You may hate me, Caulfield, but-"

"I don't hate you," she cut him off, "I...I tried to hate you after you told me everything, but I couldn't. I understand it now, Nathan. I know you. And because of what I know...I can't hate you. And I don't want to."

He tilted his head to the side, the smirk on his face suddenly becoming bitter. "There's a lot about me you don't know, Caulfield. Even without the whole shit with Jefferson, I'm not a good guy. I'm drug dealer and addict with too many mental problems to fucking count. I'm hopped up on too many meds because it's just easier for my Doctor to hand me over a bunch of pills than deal with me anymore. My own Father considers me a fucking disgrace to our family name and the world."

His jaw clenched tightly and his bottom lip began to quiver. Max could see it in his eyes that he was trying not cry.

"Nathan, you need seriously help," she said softly, placing one of her hands on his shoulder. "And I'm not try to insult you or anything, but you do. Find a new doctor, check into rehab---do _something_."

"It's not that easy, Max."

"It should be."

"Yeah, well, you're not a Prescott, are you?" He let out a shaky breath. "Fuck, Max--you saw what I did to your buddy Warren. You saw me point a gun at your best friend. Rachel is _dead_ because of me, and if you hadn't gotten Kate off that rooftop, she would be dead, too. How can you not hate me?"

She thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Like I said before, I can't hate you now and I don't want to. You're not perfect, Nathan. You've done a lot of fucked up shit, and you really do need help or rehab-or both-but don't think you're bad. You're just...really fucking lost."

Nathan studied her expression, and he didn't seem to like the one she had on her face. "Don't fall for me, Caulfield," he warned in a soft voice. "I can't give you what you need, and I'll only end up breaking your heart in the end."

"What?" Her eyes widened and leaned back a tiny bit. He let her. "I don't-I don't like you in that way. Why would you-?"

"It's written all over your face, Max. You like me. Maybe you haven't admitted it to yourself yet, or maybe you haven't figured it out. Either way, forget about it. I'm not a prize to be won."

"That's not true," she protested. Whether she had feelings for him or not, she didn't want him to think of himself that way. Not anymore. And as long as he kept her around, she wouldn't let him.

But did _she_ have feelings for Nathan? God, why did it have to be so complicated? Why couldn't she just figure it out? Her mind flashed back to earlier when she found out about him and Victoria, and her heart clenched painfully, like the way it had earlier. The thought of him and Victoria sleeping together...It made her jealous.

_And you know why it makes you jealous Max? Because you like him, you idiot! You fell for Nathan Prescott! Nice going, Maxine._

Nathan knocked on her head three times. "You in there, Caulfield?"

Max blinked and touched her forehead. "Um. Ow."

"You spaced out on me."

"Yeah, I..." Her voice trailed off, not knowing what to say, and she looked down at her lap.

He pulled her back so that they were too close to one another once again, loving the way Max gasped when he did so. "Max."

She looked up and met his eyes. They stared intently at one another for a moment, then Nathan's eyes lowered to her lips.

And then his mouth was on hers.

She squeaked, eyes widening in surprise. Her hands moved to his shoulders to push him away but he was stronger than her.

“Relax,” he growled as he pulled his mouth off of hers. “It's just one kiss, Max. Chill out.” When she didn't answer, he gently pressed his mouth back to hers and she closed her eyes.

She wasn't sure if she really wanted this or not, but she couldn't deny that his lips felt nice. He was being gentle with her, probably for her benefit so she wouldn't get too freaked out. After a moment she finally gave in and began to kiss back.

His hands reached up to tangle in her hair as he began to kiss her deeper, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. She gasped in surprise, remembering how it felt when he did this in the alternate timeline.

Without thinking, she pushed her body closer to his-

And then it was over.

Nathan ripped his mouth off of hers and jumped up as if he had been burned.

“What--what the fuck are you doing to me?” He gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Max blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “What do you mean? You're the one who kissed me.”

Nathan groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I shouldn't have done that. Fuck. That was a huge fucking mistake.”

Ouch. That hurt a little bit.

“Yes, it was,” she agreed, looking down at her lap. “So can we pretend like it never happened?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Nathan reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone before tossing it to Max. “Give me that back as soon as you’re done.”

She grabbed the cell phone from where it landed on her bed beside her. “I will. Thank you.”

He nodded. “See you whenever, I guess.” She gave a small wave and he opened the door and left the room.

As soon as he door shut, Max groaned and laid down on her bed, throwing one arm over eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter has been slightly edited. 
> 
> Everyone during the finale: OMG I can't believe it's over! I can't believe this happened! I can't believe Nathan is dead! And that ending! :(
> 
> Me: Dear God this is gonna be a bitch to write out.
> 
> But seriously, I can't believe it's over! Never thought I would love the game as much as I did. I was super bummed about Nathan :( But I promise that Nathan will NOT die in this story! He and Max need to have their happy ending, damn it!
> 
> From what I planned out, I don't think it's going to follow episode 5 all that much. I might add in some parts from the episode into the story, but not that much. 
> 
> Also, this is going to continue even after episode 5. Max and Nathan have a bit of a journey ahead of them. They have things to work out, and Nathan has to get his shit together before they can truly be together. That's not going to all happen by the time episode 5 is over. I hope you guys don't mind!

Max Caulfield was officially burned into Nathan Prescott's fucking brain, and he could kill her for that.

"Damn it," he growled, kicking his bedroom door open, "God fucking damn it."

How a meaningless fucking kiss make him feel things he's never wanted to feel before? He had actually felt something for her when the kiss happened, and it both pissed him off and confused him because this was fucking Max Caulfield, of all people, and he definitely shouldn't be having any fucking feelings for her. Hell, he was supposed to hate her. This was _not_ part of the plan. 

 

And she had feelings for him. He wasn't sure how strong the feelings were, and he was hoping they were barely there, but _fuck_. She saw something in him that no one else did--not even Victoria. Despite all the bad shit he's done and all of his fucked up problems, she still cared about him and didn't see him as bad. Time and time again she saw the horrible side of him, and she still found a way to move past it.

A part of him thought that she was very stupid for it, but a bigger part of him was grateful.

But both of them had agreed to forget about it, that it was a mistake, and it was better that way. They could go back to disliking one another, take down Jefferson, and move on with their fucking lives. And he hoped it would be that easy, because he just wasn't capable of having a relationship. Not that he would ever in a million fucking years date Max, but if he did he knew he would drag that relationship through a world of shit and pain until there was nothing left. Even she deserved better than that. 

If it came down to it, he would push her away once this whole thing was over. He wouldn't be friends with her. He couldn't be. He'd make her hate him again. Whatever kept her away from him and destroyed any feelings she had for him. 

Nathan sighed and then opened his top drawer, looking for the tiny white bag that held the cocaine he had.

_Shit. Out of it again. Looks like it's time to pay a visit to Frankie boy._

 

* * *

 

"So you managed to get Nathan's phone without me?" Chloe raised an eyebrow and smirked, hand tapping on the steering wheel along to the beat of the Bon Jovi song playing on the radio.

Max rolled her eyes. "I don't need your help all the time, you know. I'm perfectly capable of breaking and entering on my own."

"Sure you are, Max. I'm just surprised you went ahead and did it without me, that's all."

"Luckily Nathan didn't catch me." Max's heart sunk when she said his name, though she wasn't sure why. 

_You can't seriously be hurt by what he said, Max. You know it was just a stupid kiss. That's all it was. Get over it._

"Oh, please, he wouldn't have done anything," Chloe said, almost angrily, "because I would beat his fucking ass to a pulp."

Max laughed. It was always nice to know that Chloe had her back no matter what.

_That's not true. She doesn't know what you've done. She doesn't know that you're lying to her._

"Let's go talk to Frank and get this over with," Chloe muttered, expression morose."You really think he'll just hand over his client book?"

"Probably not," Max admitted, "but it's worth a shot."

"And we can always use your rewind powers if things go south."

"My powers aren't going to help us all the time. They've been...acting up lately."

"Acting up how?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max, a little worried.

Max told her about how difficult it had almost been to save Kate, and how she was getting nosebleeds and headaches.

Chloe frowned. "Okay, that's not good."

"You're telling me," Max scoffed.

"We just need to be extra careful, that's all."

"We need to only use my powers when it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise they might not work when we need them the most."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Right. Hopefully we won't need them when we go see Frank. We have the money the asshole wants, so he shouldn't be too difficult." She thought for a moment and then her lips turned up in a smirk. "Except you _did_ nearly shoot the guy."

Max groaned. "Something tells me this is _so_ not going to go the way we want it to go."

"It never does, Max. Life sucks." Chloe tucked the gun away and tried to ignore the look Max was giving her.

"You're gonna shoot him?" The brunette asked, a worried look crossing her face.

"If he tries anything," Chloe answered seriously. "And if he doesn't give us any answers, I'll threaten the asshole until he does."

Max shook her head. "Chloe, remember what we just talked about-"

"I know, Max. I know. Let's just do this."

They both got out of the car and made their way to Frank's RV. Max gave Chloe the signal to knock on the door.

"Oh, look...The Wonder Twins," Frank said sarcastically when he answered the door. He gave Chloe a look. "You should have come alone."

"She's my partner," Chloe said.

"Yeah, or bodyguard. So let's get to business. Where's my fucking money?"

Chloe looked over at Max, and when the girl nodded at her, she took out the money and handed it to him.

"Oh, why, thank you," Frank snapped. "That wasn't so hard, now was it? And let's never do business again. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a client coming by, so I'd suggest you two get the fuck out of here."

He turned to go back inside, but Chloe stopped him. "Frank...could we ask you a couple of quick questions?"

"You have some serious lady balls," Frank chuckled. "No."

Chloe's face fell, and he sighed, giving into her. "Jesus, okay, okay. But I'm not getting you high."

"Frank, we're not here to get high," Max told him."

Frank looked her over. "No, you don't look like the type. Not like Chloe here."

Chloe smirked. "Actually, Max and I got high together a few days ago."

"Did you really?" Frank didn't sound impressed. "Well, congrats, kid."

"Thanks," Max said flatly.

"So what do you Hardy Boys want?"

"Just the names of some of your clients."

"Oh, is that all?" Frank laughed. "Well, why didn't you just tell me? Why don't I just give you the keys to my RV while I'm at it?" His face turned into a sneer. "Oh, wait a second, you already broke into my fucking RV!"

Chloe sighed in a frustration. "Look, Frank, I'm really sorry about that. It was wrong. But we really need your help with this, okay?"

"You're the only one who can help us right now," Max added.

Frank's expression didn't change, nor did his tone. If anything, he sounded even angrier. "I don't give a fuck. Whatever you two are up to, leave me the fuck out of it. And you," he pointed at Max, "have a lot of nerve asking me for _shit_ after you aimed a gun at me and pulled the fucking trigger."

"I know, and I'm so sorry about that...I was just trying to protect Chloe. I shouldn't have pulled the trigger." Max's apology was sincere. She did regret pulling the gun on Frank and pulling the trigger. Fortunately, there were no bullets in the gun, but if there had been...she would have killed the man.

"No, you shouldn't have. I bet you didn't even know the gun wasn't loaded!"

Max looked down at her feet. "I...No, I didn't."

"That's what I thought." Frank crossed his arms over his chest, face contorted in anger. If looks could kill, surely Max and Chloe would be dead right now. "Now get the fuck out of my sight!"

"Dude, get off her ass," Chloe snapped, feeling uneasy. "You pulled a fucking knife on us. What was she supposed to do? Stand there and wait to find out if you would kill me or not? Get over yourself, asshole."

"Chloe," Max warned.

"You little bitches think you're so tough, don't you? You think you can mess with me, huh?!" Frank yelled.

"Calm down, Frank," Max said gently, voice shaking. "Let's just talk."

"Don't you ever tell me what to do." Frank stepped towards Max and grabbed her throat. "Get it, bitch? Get it?"

Chloe whipped out the gun she was carrying and aimed it at Frank. "Step the fuck back, now!"

Frank angrily let go of Max's throat and did what Chloe said, but Pompidou ran out of the RV and began to run towards Chloe, prepared to protect his owner. Chloe aimed the gun at the dog and pulled the trigger.

"Pompidou!" Frank cried. He pulled out his knife and went after Chloe. "You fucking killed my dog!"

 _Oh, shit!_ Max thought urgently, _this is bad. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down. I knew something bad would happen!_

And then Chloe pulled the trigger again, and Frank was on the ground, blood pouring from his skull.

"Oh my god!" Max gasped. "Oh no...Chloe..."

Chloe stared down at the man in horror and shock, not being able to believe what she had just done. Her head was spinning and she felt sick to her stomach. "I just shot and man and his dog...I killed Frank Bowers."

"You saved my life, Chloe," Max said, not wanting Chloe to feel completely horrible for what had just happened. "It was self-defense for both of us."

"Max...Frank is really dead."

"I know. But we can't stop now. We have to find that code. Fast."

They both kneeled down beside Frank and patted him down for the code.

"Before the co-cops come..." Chloe said quietly, voice cracking. She found the code and pulled it out.

"That's it," Max said, strangely calm. "Let's get out of here." Chloe shook her head. "Max, I heard what you said about your rewind, but...do you think you can...? I mean, this is the kind of situation where you absolutely have to, right?"

"I can try."

"Please..."

Max nodded and held out her hand, beginning to concentrate. A tingling sensation in her palm shot all the way up to her arm. The world seemed to slightly dim for a split second-

And then Max's head felt like it was splitting in two. She made a pained sound and clutched her head, doubling over.

"Max!" Chloe rushed to her friends side and put one hand on her back. "Max, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"It's not working, Chloe," Max gasped out. "I can't rewind."

Chloe paled. "You-you can't? Are you sure? Maybe you should try again."

And Max did, for Chloe. But it didn't work the second time, nor the third time.

"I don't know what it is, Chloe, but my powers aren't working...I'm so sorry." Max placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder, giving the girl a sad look. She didn't want Frank to be dead, and she didn't want Chloe to have to live with this. But it seemed like time wasn't on their side right now, and there was nothing she could do.

"Max...Max, that means I murdered Frank," Chloe's voice began to tremble. "I murdered him and his dog, and now...I'm going to get in so much trouble for this."

"No, you won't, Chloe. I won't let you," Max promised. "There isn't any proof for the police to catch you or even suspect you. You're safe."

Chloe sniffled and wiped her eyes with her arm. "That doesn't make me feel any better, Max. He's still dead because of me, and-"

" _What the fuck?!"_

Max and Chloe both froze.

_Oh no. Please, not him. Anyone but him._

Max slowly turned around and winced when she saw the confused and slightly-horrified look on Nathan's face.

"Oh, great," Chloe snapped, "just what this situation needs right now--Nathan Prescott."

Nathan ignored her and walked past them to stand next to Frank's body. He looked down at the man, eyes wide. "What the fuck did you two do?"

"Frank came after me," Max explained, wishing with all her might that Nathan would go away. "Chloe...shot him to protect me."

"And you fucking shot the dog too?" Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "Jesus Christ. Are you out of your fucking mind, dumbass?" He said to Chloe sharply.

Chloe tightened her grip on the gun, trying to resist the urge to pull it on Nathan next. "That's real funny coming from you, Prescott."

"Yeah, whatever. At least I'm not the one who just murdered a poor guy in cold blood." He shook his head in disgust and took a step away from Frank.

Nathan didn't have any room to talk. Chloe may have killed Frank, but it was out of self-defense. And while Nathan never actually killed anyone, he still drugged girls for Jefferson and helped cover up Rachel Amber's murder. Both he and Max knew that. This was just Nathan giving Chloe a hard time just for the hell out of it. He enjoyed it.

"Nathan, you can't tell anyone about this," Max said seriously, eyes pleading. "Please."

Nathan gave her a look as if to say, _are you fucking kidding me?_ He, of all people, was not going to go the police about this.

"Relax, _Maxine_ , I'm not going to tell anyone."

She nodded in understanding. "Thank you."

"Are you fucking kidding?" Chloe broke in angrily. "Of course he's going to tell people, Max! He'll tell everyone!"

"I will not," Nathan shot back. "I may fucking hate your guts, bitch, but I'm no rat. To be honest, I don't really give a shit about what happened here. I'm just wondering who the hell I'm gonna get my drugs from now."

"Don't worry, rich boy, I'm sure you'll find someone. Don't you have enough fucking pills to last you a lifetime?"

"Pills, yes. The good shit, though? Not really. So thank you two for fucking it all up for me."

Chloe snorted in disgust and grabbed Max's arm. "Come on, Max. Let's go. If I stay here any longer, I might just kill Prescott next."

"Uh, okay," Max said reluctantly. She looked over at Nathan. "You should get out of here too. The police might show up." Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Got it, Caulfield. Thanks. As soon as I'm done raiding his fucking RV for what I need, I'm out."

"Okay..." Max still hung around for a second. Ignoring the glare Chloe was shooting her way, she said hesitantly, "Nathan...Um..."

"Get the fuck out of here,Caulfield." His voice was hard and his eyes were dark.

_I don't want to fucking talk to you right now. I can't fucking talk to you right now._

The words weren't spoken in front of Chloe, obviously, but they still hung in the air between them. Nathan didn't have to say them out loud. Max knew what he wanted to say. The way he looked at her said it all. Her shoulders nearly slumped in defeat.

"Come on, Max," Chloe said, turning Max away from Nathan and began to lead her to the car. "You better keep your mouth shut about this, Prescott!" She called to Nathan over her shoulder. "I'll come for your ass if you open your mouth!"

"Yeah, yeah. Would you fuck off already?" Nathan called back, waving the girl off.

Chloe flipped him off right before she and Max got into the truck.

Max didn't want to, but she couldn't stop herself from watching Nathan while Chloe started the truck. And Nathan was staring right back at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. He looked angry at her, but she had a feeling that his anger was not directed towards her. It seemed to just be a natural thing for him, to look angry. Years of being pissed at the world and hating everyone would do that to someone.

But there was also another expression on his face that was mixed with the anger. She had no idea what it was, but it was there. Sadness? Did he look apologetic? What the hell was it? She didn't have time to figure it out, because Chloe began to drive away, and Nathan looked away from her and went into the RV to get his supply of drugs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max not being able to rewind time to make sure Frank doesn't die actually happened to me when I played the game. It totally glitched out on me, and eventually I was just like, "Screw it. Sorry, Frank," and I had to leave him dead. I was so pissed XD I figured I would add that into the story. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm writing out chapter ten now! I'm sorry these updates are taking me a while. So much going on with work and school (as I've mentioned before.) Thank you all so much for being patient with me and leaving such wonderful comments :) You guys are too awesome.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter has been edited in a pretty big way. Basically meaning that while there was a confession of feelings in this chapter, I took it out. 
> 
> I'm actually fairly happy with chapter. It took me a while to write out, but here it is.
> 
> Max and Nathan actually have a moment in this chapter. Nothing really romantic. We aren't quite there yet in this revised version. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Max was officially the worst best friend in the world.

After arriving back at the house, Max, as much as her mind screamed at her to either not do it or just confess everything to Chloe, managed to pull all of the evidence together and figured out where she and Chloe were supposed to go next, which was a farmhouse owned by the Prescott's.

But she had a bad feeling that they would find something there that had to do with Nathan, so she pretended to brush it off.

"It's probably nothing," she told Chloe, not meeting the girls eyes. "There's no point in going there."

Lucky for her, Chloe agreed.

But that was when Max decided she needed to call Nathan to find out more about the farmhouse.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom real quick."

"Okay."

Max practically ran to the bathroom and shut the door. She quickly took out her cell phone and, after a moment of hesitation, dialed Nathan's number.

He didn't sound happy to hear from her when he picked up.

"What do you want, Caulfield?" He asked flatly.

"What's at your family's farmhouse?" No time to beat around the bush.

He was quiet for a moment, but when he finally spoke, his voice was harsh. "What?"

She sighed and sat down on the toilet. "The farmhouse-"

"Yeah, yeah, I got that part. How the fuck did you find out about that?"

"Chloe and I were putting evidence together-"

Nathan cut her off once again. "You were doing _what_?"

Max suddenly felt uneasy. Nathan knew she was working with Chloe, but he didn't know how much they were working together.

"Look, Chloe and I have been working to find Rachel even before I started to help you. I couldn't just tell her I wasn't going to help her anymore when I started to help you."

"So you've been playing both sides," he snapped.

"I haven't told Chloe a damn thing about you," Max snapped back. "I wouldn't betray your trust and lead her right to you. That's why I'm calling you now about the farmhouse. I wanted to see if there was anything there that would give you up. God knows why, since you're such an asshole."

She was met with silence on the other end once again. But just when she was about to give up, Nathan let out a deep breath.

"It's where the dark room is," he muttered, "courtesy of the Prescott's."

"What? I thought your parents didn't know about you and Jefferson."

"They don't. Jefferson made it seem like he just wanted to build a little photo studio there. Of course my father has so much respect for the fucker, so..." His voice trailed off, and Max could hear his lighter flick.

"I won't bring Chloe there," she promised. "I'll figure something out."

Nathan chuckled. "You do realize you're betraying her in a way, right?"

Max knew she was, but she had fooled herself into believing it was to protect Chloe. But hearing _Nathan Prescott_ tell her that she was betraying her best friend only made her feel worse.

"I can tell her everything, if that's what you want," she said. "I can tell her all that you and Jefferson have been up to." Nathan didn't say anything, but she could practically see the scowl on his face. "But if I did that, she'd probably come after you," Max continued. "Or she would go to the police. Yeah, maybe I should tell her-"

"Alright, alright!" He hissed. "I get it, for Christ sakes. Sorry. You're not betraying your best friend. You're just...doing me a favor."

Max smiled. "Sure."

He let out a snort. "Whatever. Just keep her the fuck away from there, alright? My high is starting to kick in, so I'm gonna hang up now."

"Okay," she rolled her eyes. "I'll...see you later?" She hated how her voice sounded slightly hopeful.

He seemed to be able to hear it. "I guess so."

"Okay...Bye."

"Yeah, bye."

They hung up, and Max shoved her phone into her pocket.

_I better get back to Chloe before she thinks I fell in the toilet._

Max opened the bathroom door--and gasped.

Chloe stood in front of her, a look of fury and hurt on her face. Her fists were clenched at her side, shaking.

"Max," the girl said, voice filled with anger but on the verge of breaking, "tell me what I just heard wasn't what I thought it was."

* * *

 

**1 hour later**

Nathan pulled up in front of the farmhouse, turned the engine off, and sat there with his hands still on the wheel.

He didn't want to go in there. The only time he ever went in there was when he had to, and that was usually when he brought a girl down to the dark room, or when Jefferson asked him to get him something from there.

Jefferson hadn't bothered him at all today, and Nathan always referred to days like this as his "Day off."

So why the hell was he here? Why would he force himself to come here? Why doesn't he just leave? His mind couldn't come up with an answer. He didn't know why he was here or why he felt the need to go into the dark room. He just...needed to.

But first, a cigarette to calm his nerves.

He wished he had a joint, but he had just come down from a mini high and even he knew it wouldn't be smart to be stoned when going in there.

He lit the cigarette and inhaled, slowly blowing out the smoke and watching it swirl around him for a second before fading. As he smoked, Nathan's mind drifted to the conversation he and Max had an hour ago.

She was really trying to protect him by keeping Chloe away from the farmhouse. The two had been working together all along, but Max hadn't told the girl anything, had did her best to steer Chloe away from anything that would lead them to him.

And why? Because she liked him? Because she felt bad for him? What is it with that girl?

He shook his head and finished off his cigarette before throwing it out the window. He forced himself to open his door and step out of the car.

In a way, it didn't feel like he was in control of his own body as he walked into the farmhouse. It didn't feel like his hands that were getting the trap door open. And it did not feel like his hands that were putting in the passcode to the dark room before heading inside.

The first thing he did when he got inside was making sure the security cameras were off. He didn't need Jefferson questioning him about why he was there. After that, he slowly walked over to where all the files were, and grabbed the one labeled Rachel Amber before going to sit down on the couch.

His heart began to hammer as he opened the file.

_I don't want to do this. Why am I doing this. Close the fucking file, Nathan. You don't want to see this shit._

But he did.

Looking at those pictures almost made it feel like that night all over again. He remembers looking at them one other time before, after they had buried Rachel and returned to the dark room. Jefferson had forced him to look at them, to see what a _good model_ Rachel was. How _perfect_ she was.

And she had been perfect. Nathan couldn't deny that. She had been beautiful, smart, funny, kind, and a bit of a smartass, which Nathan had liked about her.

_"You like her," Hayden had said at a vortex party one night a year ago, a joint in one hand and a lazy smirk on his face._

_"Huh?" Nathan looked over at Hayden with a scowl. "Why the fuck would you-?"_

_"It's written all over your fucking face, man. Your eyes haven't left her almost all night. Kind of creepy, if we're being honest."_

_"Shut the fuck up," Nathan muttered, taking the joint away from Hayden. "So what if I like her?"_

_Hayden leaned back in his seat and gave his best friend a teasing look. "What would Victoria think of that?"_

_"Nothing's going on with me and Vic."_

_"Sure. That's why I heard her moaning in your room last night."_

_Nathan couldn't help but smirk at that and shrugged. "Whoops. You caught us."_

_"Whatever, man. Bang as many chicks as you want. Just don't come crying to me when Victoria rips Rachel's face off."_ _Hayden let out a snort and shook his head._

_"That won't happen," Nathan said, his eyes returning to focus on Rachel, "Rachel would kick Victoria's ass."_

_"Ouch."_

_"Just being honest. Besides, I wouldn't let Vic touch her, anyway."_

_A surprised look flashed over Hayden's face, but it was gone before Nathan could see. "You really like her, don't you?"_

_"There's something about her, Hayden. I don't know what the fuck it is, but..." His voice trailed off._

_The two continued to smoke until the joint began to burn their fingers. Then Hayden stood up, almost stumbling, and let out a laugh._

_"I'm fucking stoned, man," he grinned. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom."_

_Nathan waved him off. He looked around the room, watching the other people. The music blasted throughout the room, loud enough that if he wasn't so used to it, he'd probably have a splitting headache._

_"I need a fucking cigarette," he grumbled, digging through his pocket for one and a lighter._

_"Hey," a soft female voice said from in front of him, "you mind sharing?"_

_Nathan was about to retort for that person to fuck off, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw it was Rachel. "Not at all," he said, gesturing for her to take Hayden's seat. The big idiot wouldn't be back for a while._

_She smiled at him and sat down. "Thanks."_

_"No problem." He lit the cigarette and took a long drag before handing it over to Rachel. "You enjoying the party?"_

_She shrugged. "I don't think a lot of people here like me, but it's fun, I guess."_

_"Fuck them," Nathan said. "Don't let them get to you. Just have fun."_

_"I am. And you?"_

_"I'm having a blast."_

_"You don't look like it."_

_Nathan chuckled. "That's because I'm high as fuck and too chill to move around."_

_Rachel laughed, and Nathan felt a bit relieved. For a second he thought she might be disgusted with him. "You're lucky," she teased._

_"You want a joint? Or I can find you a bong?"_

_"Don't bother. Someone's picking me up in a little while, and I don't want to be stoned when they do. I don't want to make any mistakes with them."_

_"I can drive you," Nathan offered without thinking. "I drive high all the fuckin' time, anyway."_

_Rachel considered it for a moment, and then shook her head. "It's fine. I don't want to ask you to do that."_

_"You're not asking. I'm offering," he replied, reaching to take the cigarette back._

_"I don't really know you..."_

_He teasingly rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows me, babe."_

_"I don't know you personally," she corrected herself, but there was a hint of a smile on her face._

_"I guess that's true enough." He put an arm around the back of her chair and flashed her a charming smile. "But I promise I won't bite unless you ask me to."_

_She let out another laugh and nodded. "Sure, why not?"_

_"Cool." Nathan put out the cigarette and stood up. "You ready to go now?"_

_She nodded and stood up as well. "So fucking ready. I'm done with the death stares I've been getting from Victoria."_

_Nathan looked past her and met Victoria's angry eyes that were also filled with hurt. "Shit," he muttered._

_Rachel frowned. "Are you dating her?"_

_"What? No. She's my best friend, but, uh...She's pretty possessive."_

_"Just your best friend. Right." Rachel rolled her eyes and glanced a peek at Victoria over her shoulder. "Are you sure she won't try and kill me for_ this?"

_"I'll make sure she doesn't. It's probably me she wants to kill, anyway," he lied. Victoria would never do anything to him, but she would definitely try and fuck with Rachel. Most likely by writing cruel shit about her on the bathroom walls or putting up a bad photo on Facebook._

_"Okay. Cool." Rachel smiled._

_If Nathan ever smiled, it was a fake one to cover up the anger and depression and every other shitty feeling he felt. But the smile he gave Rachel was genuine and real and it felt almost nice._

_The car ride was nice, too. She somehow managed to make him laugh-a real laugh. It felt easy to talk to her. She was so carefree, and she didn't judge him at all or ask him any questions about the thing she's heard around school._

_She did, however, make him sing._

_"Fuck, I love this song!" She laughed. She had asked if she could plug her iPod in. "Do you like Staind?_ "

_Nathan listened to the lyrics for a moment and immediately recognized the song. "Used to. I usually change the station whenever a song by them comes on now, though. Too depressing."_

_**And they make me think about my own fucked up life.** _

_"Yeah, I get that. But that's part of why I love them." She smiled as she turned the volume up on the radio and began to sing. **"But you always find a way, to keep me right here waiting."**_

_"Seriously?" Nathan laughed._

_Rachel playfully swatted his arm. "Come on, sing with me!"_

_"Not a big singer."_

_"Neither am I, but sometimes you gotta sing along. Come on." She nudged him. **"And if you chose to walk away, I'd still be right here waiting. Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting."**_

_Nathan rolled his eyes and sat up straighter. Keeping his eyes strictly on the road ahead of them, he sang under his breath, " **I hope you're not intending to be so condescending**_ **, it's as much as I can take."**

**"And you're so independent, you just refuse to bend so I keep bending till I break."**

_Rachel had a good voice, and Nathan found himself listening to her sing rather than sing himself. Once in a while she would look over at him, catch him staring at her, and smiled. And because her smile was too infectious, he found himself smiling back._

_"Thanks for the ride, Nathan," Rachel said when they pulled into the junkyard._

_Nathan nodded. "No problem. But who the fuck are you meeting **here?"**_

_She shrugged. "Just some guy I know."_

_He felt a flash of jealousy. "Oh."_

_"Yeah..."_

_They were silent for a moment as they waited for whoever Rachel was meeting to show up. Nathan kind of felt like leaving, but he didn't want to leave her alone._

_And he wanted to see the guy she was meeting._

_You know, to check out the competition._

_Suddenly, he felt a warm pair of lips on his cheek. He turned his face to ask Rachel what she was doing, but then her lips were now on his and he forgot everything._

_Her lips were nice and soft. He could taste alcohol and cigarette, but he would be lying if he said he didn't like it._

_Rachel pulled away from him and a look of guilt crossed over her face. "Sorry," she said quietly,_ _"I shouldn't have done that."_

_Nathan chuckled. "The hell you shouldn't have."_

_"No, seriously...If Frank had caught us-"_

_"Wait, what?" Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Are we talking about drug dealer Frank?"_

_Rachel hesitated and then nodded. "He'd go crazy if he saw me with you."_

_**And he wouldn't sell to me anymore,** Nathan thought. He liked Rachel, but he needed the drugs more. _

_"Yeah, I got it," Nathan said, a bit harshly._

_"I'm sorry..."_

_"It's all good. Is Frank coming soon?"_

_"Yeah, he'll be here in two minutes. He just texted me."_

_"You mind if I go?" Nathan asked, lighting a cigarette._

_Rachel shrugged and opened the car door. "That's fine. See you around, I guess."_

_"Yup."_

_Rachel frowned and got out of the car._

_Without looking at her, Nathan drove away._

 

"I'm such an asshole," Nathan groaned, covering his eyes with one hand. "Why the fuck didn't I at least apologize? Fucking douche bag!" He stood up angrily and kicked the table.

_You liked Rachel and you ruined any chance you could have had with her. You may or may not like Max and you're gonna push her away._

Nathan made a frustrated sound.

_Why do I have to fuck everything up for myself?_

His cell phone began to ring. "Oh, come the fuck on!" He growled, ripping it out of his pocket. The name of the screen said Max.

_How convenient. What the hell does she want now?_

"Yeah, Caulfield," he answered, annoyed, "what do you want?"

Max let out a choked sob. "It's Chloe."

A wave of fear washed over Nathan and he froze. "What about her?"

"She found out, Nathan...She knows."

"How the fuck did she find out, Max?!"

"She overheard our conversation. Nathan, you need to get out of there. She's on her way-"

Nathan felt something being pressed against the back of his head.

"Don't fucking move," Chloe hissed. Nathan closed his eyes and cursed under his breath.

"Max, I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Why? What's happening?" She asked, panicked.

"Your bestie has a gun pointed at my head."

Chloe cocked the gun. "Hang up the phone, asshole."

"Yes, ma'am," Nathan answered sarcastically.

"Nathan?!" Max gasped.

"Gotta go, sweetheart."

He was about to hang up, but something told him not to yet.

_There's no way this bitch is gonna let me go alive. May as well make these last moments count._

"Hey, Max?" He said hesitantly.

Luckily, she hadn't hung up yet. "Y-yeah?"

"Sorry for how I treated you that night. I mean, basically forcing you to kiss me and then telling you what a mistake it was. I, uh, I'm not saying it wasn't a mistake, but I was a douche about it. So...yeah. Sorry." He was no good with apologies at all, and winced at how shitty it came out. 

He could practically see her rolling her eyes. "Don't worry about that now, Nathan. I'm on my way." 

"Don't come here," he snapped. "Do you hear me, Caulfield? It's not safe here."

Chloe scoffed. "Do you think I'd shoot Max?"

Nathan took the phone away from his ear. "It's not you I'm worried about, bitch," he snarled.

"Keep it up, Prescott. Just don't forget that _I'm_ the one holding the gun this time."

He muttered something under his breath and put the phone back up to his ear. "Listen, Max, I know I'm an asshole, but, uh...And normally I wouldn't say this...Thank you. For the help. I don't know why you did it, but..."

He wasn't too good at thanking people, either. 

"You don't have to thank me, Nathan. I wanted to do it. 

Nate let out a huff of laughter. "Yeah. For some stupid fucking reason." 

"You once said I was too nosy for my own good." He couldn't see it, but there was a small smile on her face. "And maybe I am, but...Being nosy is the reason why we came this far. We're so close to taking down Jefferson, Nathan. Just hang on, okay? I'm coming." 

He could feel Chloe's hand begin to shake, and her voice was unsteady when she spoke, "Hang up the fucking phone. Now."

"Gotta go, babe," Nathan murmured.

"Wait! Nathan, don't-"

"Thanks for everything you've done for me. It's more than anyone's ever done."

Nathan hung up.

"So," he sighed, "where do you want me?" He smirked. "Should I take my clothes off, or are we saving that for later?"

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. Sit on the couch," Chloe snapped. "And don't try anything, or I'll blow your fucking brains out."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied dryly, moving over to sit on the couch. When he was seated, he looked at Chloe with a blank expression on his face. "You gonna kill me now?"

"Not yet," she said. "First you're gonna tell me about Rachel."

* * *

 

**1 hour earlier**

_I'm gonna lose her._

That was the very first thought that went through Max's mind as she stood in front of her very pissed off and hurt best friend. She could tell by the look in Chloe's eyes that this was the end of them. She would want anything to do with her after this, and Max couldn't blame her.

But that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

"Chloe, I can explain everything," Max said, voice pleading. "Just give me a chance-"

"You can explain?" Chloe laughed, broken. "Sure, Max. Let's see what kind of fucked up excuse you can come up with."

Max flinched at her tone. "I've been helping Nathan," she pushed the words out. She knew saying this out loud would only make things worse, but she couldn't lie anymore. She wouldn't.

"You've been going behind my back this entire time to help Nathan? The guy who technically killed me once and tried to attack you in the parking lot that same day?" Chloe's voice was growing more stable, but more angry. "The guy who's the reason why Kate tried to kill herself?"

"I know how it sounds, Chloe, believe me. Nathan broke into my dorm room one night and he told me he was going to explain everything to me. And he did. I couldn't hate him after that, Chloe. I _couldn't_. He's done fucked up things--I know that. But Jefferson's been forcing him to drug girls and help take pictures of them. Nathan hates it more than anything, but he wants to protect his family. So I decided to help him get rid of Jefferson."

"Why didn't you just tell me that, Max?" Chloe said sharply.

"What would you have said if I told you I was going to help Nathan Prescott?" Max asked quietly.

Chloe looked away for a moment, a newfound anger in her eyes. "I wouldn't have been happy about it at all, Max. But I would have understood and I wouldn't have tried to stop you."

"So why does it make such a difference _now_?"

There was a big difference, and Max knew that, but the question left her mouth anyway.

"What's the difference?" Chloe turned her head back to face Max and stared at her with incredulous eyes. "There's a big fucking difference, Max. You didn't tell me when you should have. Hell, this would all still be a big fucking secret if I hadn't overheard your conversation. You were never going to tell me, and that...that really fucking hurts, Max, because I trusted you more than anyone."

"I know that, Chloe. I know I fucked up. I should have told you the truth, but...I didn't know how to tell you. And I was trying to protect you."

"I don't need your fucking protection, Max!" The side of Chloe's fist hit the doorframe. "I can take care of myself! I just needed the truth!"

"Rachel's dead!" The words were out of Max's mouth before she could stop them.

Chloe's face drained of color and her eyes widened. "What?" She breathed.

Max closed her eyes and swallowed hard. It felt like she was swallowing knives."Jefferson...killed Rachel."

"How do you know this?" Chloe demanded, voice beginning to shake. "And how long have you known?"

"Nathan showed me where she's buried...And I've only known for about a week-"

"A week." Chloe's eyes were filled with tears and fury. "We've been looking all over for Rachel, and she's been dead this whole time. And you kept it from me?!"

"I had to!" Max snapped out the words. "I had to, Chloe. I know it sounds stupid, but I really couldn't tell you anything. I know what you would have done if I had, and I couldn't risk that."

"You couldn't risk it--why?" Chloe crossed her arms over her chest as tears began to stream down her face. "Because of Nathan, Max? You chose _him_ over _me_?"

The words sounded so broken that it made Max's heart rip in two.

"I didn't choose him over you," Max whispered. "I swear I didn't, Chloe. But he and I had to stop this guy from hurting anyone else, and I couldn't involve you in it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie. I just didn't think I had much of a choice."

"You didn't mean to-?" Chloe forced out a laugh and covered her face with her hands. "Just stop, Max. Stop fucking lying to me."

Max was only managing to ruin things even farther. "I didn't...I wasn't...I wasn't trying to hurt you, Chloe." A lump began to form in her throat and tears burned her eyes. "I was just trying to make things right for all of us."

"You didn't make things right, Max. You fucked it all up." Chloe looked away again and closed her eyes as tears continued to fall from them. "Why did you have to ruin us, Max? I could have handled it from anyone but you. You came back into my life and everything was finally good again. Why did you have to...?"

"So this is it?" Max choked out. "You don't want to be my friend anymore?"

Chloe shook her head. "I can't trust you anymore, Max. And I can't be friends with someone I don't trust."

"Chloe..." Max reached out for the girl, but Chloe back away. "Chloe, please..."

"Please what, Max? Forgive you? I can't. Not for this."

_You can't say you don't deserve this, Max._

"I'm going to that farmhouse."

"What?" Max shook her head. "Chloe, you can't-"

"I can, and I am." Chloe let out a shaky breath and wiped her eyes. "And I need you to go."

"Chloe-"

"Now, Max!" She held Max's stare, eyes hard and angry.

There was nothing left to say. Max nodded sadly and kept her head down as she left Chloe's house without another word.

It wasn't until she was outside and walking away from her former best friends house that she broke down completely.

With shaky fingers, she took out her cell phone and dialed the one person she really needed to talk to right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this story is quickly turning into a canon AU and events are being changed entirely, but I think that's what happens with the butterfly effect. One tiny decision can change the course of the whole story. 
> 
> The song Rachel and Nathan were singing is "Right Here" by Staind, my official theme song for this story lol.
> 
> Well, gotta go plan out the next chapter. Thanks for reading as always! <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Creep voice* I'm baaaack!
> 
> Seriously, thank you guys for all your wonderful comments. They meant so much to me <3 I appreciate all of you. 
> 
> This whole chapter is focused on Nathan and past events in his life. I was only going to include a few, but I ended up with a 15,000 chapter. GG me. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter :) There IS a very tiny bit of smut and one part of this chapter includes child abuse (is it considered child abuse if you're sixteen? No idea.) Just a fair warning.

 

Nathan wasn't sure why he felt so calm.

Maybe it's because he's wanted this all to be over for a long time.

While most people feared death, Nathan anticipated it. It was his only way out. Yeah, he'd probably be burning in hell, but he was already living in his own personal hell _here_. There wouldn't be much difference.

He's considered suicide too many times to count. He's tried to kill himself before, but was never able to go through with it. Too much of a coward. But if he were to cross a street and saw a truck coming his way, he wouldn't move. If he were driving and some asshole was about to collide into him head-on, he wouldn't try and swerve out of the way. If he had an opportunity to die without killing himself, he would gladly take it.

And the time has come.

Chloe was holding a gun to his head, a murderous look in her eyes that was only meant for him, and he didn't even have the energy to try and beg for his life.

If she killed him tonight, he would be ready to die.

Even if it meant leaving Victoria and Hayden.

Even if it meant leaving Max.

"Tell me what you did to Rachel." Chloe's eyes were full of anger and her voice was strong, but it was hard not to notice the slight tremble to her tone. As if she was on the verge of a breakdown.

He knew what that was like.

"You don't wanna know," he said.

"The hell I don't! Max said that she's dead!"

"I didn't do it." It was the only thing he could say. For some reason he couldn't say the words that were floating between them, the words that Chloe wanted to hear from him so he could confirm it. And he didn't _want_ to say the words. He didn't want to talk about Rachel. As much as he hated Chloe-and he _really_ fucking hated her-he didn't want to see her break apart.

Because she loved Rachel, and knowing he played a part in taking Rachel away from her...He couldn't stand it.

But there was no way he could change the subject. He wasn't going to get off that easily. She was going to force him to say the words and tell her the whole story. She wouldn't kill him until he did.

"Why Rachel?" Her voice was beginning to crack and from the look on her face, he could see that she was ready to cry.

"I don't know," he lied. But he knew he hadn't fooled her, hadn't even come close to it. She knew that he knew everything.

"Yes, you do, Nathan!" Chloe said his name like the crack of a whip. "You were apart of the whole fucking thing. Just tell me! I need to know!"

_I need to know how she died. I need to know why this happened._

_I need to know why you did this to her._

Her unspoken words hung between them. Nathan knew they were there. They were suffocating him.

"Will it make any difference if I tell you?" He muttered. "Will it change anything? Will it fucking make you feel better?"

"It won't change anything and it sure as fuck won't make me feel better. But at least I'll know the truth. I know there's more than what Max told me."

Chloe walked around the table and took a seat on it, face-to-face with Nathan. The gun was clutched in her hand but on her lap now. If he wanted to, he could snatch the gun away from her and run.

But he wasn't going to do that.

"Jefferson had some creepy obsession with Rachel," Nathan began slowly. "He was always talking about how she'd be the perfect model. And he wanted to be the one to make that happen. So he forced me to drug her up. I was so fucking out of it that I barely even remember most of it, but I remember him getting me to take pictures with Rachel." 

Chloe eyed the folder next to him. "Are those them?"

He nodded, looking down at his lap.

Chloe snatched the folder.

"You don't wanna do that," he warned her.

"Shut up, Prescott," she hissed back, opening it. Her eyes scanned the photos, mixed emotions running across her face as she did so. When she was done, she closed her eyes for a moment, bottom lip trembling, and then she opened her eyes and set down the folder.

"Well, what'd you think?" He asked sarcastically.

She glared at him. "You're a monster."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

Chloe, with shaking hands, pointed the gun at his head.

They both didn't say anything.

"Well," Nathan said finally, "what are you waiting for? Fucking do it already!"

"Nobody will miss you, you know," Chloe said in a low voice. "No one will mourn you. No one will care."

That struck him a little more than he thought it would.

"Max will," he couldn't help but smirk.

_Not helping yourself here, Nathan._

Chloe's finger was so close to pulling the trigger. Everything inside of her was screaming to do it. This bastard covered up Rachel's murder. This bastard would have killed her if Max hadn't been able to rewind time. He destroyed everything he touched.

And, in a sick way, maybe she would be doing him a favor by ending his life.

Not that she wanted to do him any favors.

"Fuck you, pig," she growled.

Nathan didn't answer.

Chloe put pressure on the trigger, about to pull it completely.

Nathan stared straight ahead.

 

* * *

 

 

_"Nathan Prescott, I've been looking everywhere for you! Why are you hiding in your closet?"_

_The soft sound of his mother's voice sent a wave of comfort over him and, thankful it wasn't his father who had found him, stood up and rushed into his mother's arms, immediately bursting into tears._

_"Oh, my poor boy," she sighed, one hand clutching him tightly while the other stroked his head, "did daddy yell at you again?"_

_The six-year-old nodded and let out a sob. "He yelled at me because I didn't want to take a picture with him and then I started crying during the picture so he yelled at me again and then-and then-"_

_"Shh," his mother soothed, "it's okay, honey. I'm here. Mommy won't let him yell at you again."_

_"He always yells at me and Kristine! Why doesn't he like us?"_

_His mother sighed sadly. "He loves you both, Nathan, very much."_

_"Then why is he so mean to us?"_

_"He just doesn't know how to express his love. His father was the same way to him. It's all he knows."_

_Nathan opened his mouth to speak, but he immediately snapped it closed when his father entered his room._

_"You shouldn't coddle him so much, Diana," Sean grumbled, voice gruff. "He's never going to grow up." He eyed his wife and son with a look of distaste._

_Diana stiffened, arms tightening protectively around Nathan. "I'm comforting **my** child after you made him cry. Why must you yell at the children so much, Sean? Do you have a paternal bone in your body?" She shot back._

_Sean muttered something under his breath and left the room._

_Diana sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. "Why did I have to marry such a man?"_

_Nathan sniffed. "I'm sorry, mommy."_

_"For what, sweetheart?" She frowned, gently pushing him back a bit so she could look at him._

_"That you married dad."_

_Diana looked at her son for a moment and then crushed him to her chest. "Why are you apologizing for that?"_

_Nathan gave a small shrug. "He's mean. You don't deserve that, mommy."_

_"I can't complain all that much. He gave me you and your sister." She gave him a small smile._

_He hugged his mother tighter. "I love you, mommy."_

_"I love you more, Nathan. How about I take you and your sister out tomorrow? I'll pick you up from school and we'll go get lunch and maybe go to the park."_

_Nathan nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"_

_His mother bent down and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, sweetheart, more than anything in this world."_

_"Love you too, mommy."_

_The next day, on their way home from spending the day together, a drunk driver hit their car. Nathan was in the hospital for a few days, not having suffered any serious injuries._

_That was the last time Nathan ever saw his mother._

_Everything Nathan had once been had died with his mother. And everything he was now had settled inside of him. Maybe losing a big part of himself was a serious injury._

_His father remarried a year later. Annie was nice enough, but Nathan hated her more than he ever thought a six-year-old boy was capable of. Because she wasn't his mother, and she never would be. She could try all she wanted-and she did-to take his mother's place, but he never allowed her to. He was cruel to her, caused her to break down in tears more than once, and Nathan didn't feel an ounce of guilt for it._

_He enjoyed causing her pain. It was sick, but it was there. Something inside of him wanted to make her feel bad. He wanted her to cry. It felt good._

 

* * *

 

_On Nathan's first day of second grade, he met Victoria and Hayden. It was kind of a funny story how they all became friends._

_Nathan had been sitting at a table by himself, silently fuming because the teacher had kept him inside for recess, which totally wasn't fair. All he did was say that forcing the class to draw a picture of their family was bullshit. And it was. Not everyone had a nice family. Some people barely even had a family. And Nathan didn't like his family at all--minus his sister, so why would he draw a picture of a family he didn't like?_

_The teacher didn't care about that. She was upset that a child would **dare** use that kind of foul language._

_"I hear it all the time! My dad swears a lot!" he had yelled, as if it was a good enough excuse._

_Apparently, it wasn't. The teacher told him he wasn't allowed to join the other kids for recess. And she would be having a long talk with his father._

_Well, fuck her! He was Nathan fucking Prescott, thank you very much. His family was rich and practically owned the town. Nathan had half a mind to remind his teacher just how fucking important he was and she better recognize that. He was just way too important to deal with the stupid bitch's bullshit._

_The door suddenly burst open and Nathan's head snapped up._

_Two kids came in the room, the girl crying and the boy looking angry. Nathan recognized them but didn't know their names. A tall man walked behind them._

_"Caught these two fighting," the man grumbled, gently pushing the two kids forward. "Figured I would bring them to you."_

_"Yes, thank you, Martin," Ms. Johnson said dryly. "What were they fighting about?"_

_"He stole my Barbie doll!" The girl cried angrily._

_The teacher frowned and looked at the boy who was giving her a sheepish grin. "Young man, what do you have to save for yourself?"_

_"Nothing. I just felt like stealing her doll."_

_Nathan stifled a laugh. He and this kid were going to get along well._

_"I'm disappointed in your behavior," the teacher sighed, shaking her head. "It's only the first day of school."_

_"It's not my fault!" The girl huffed._

_"Victoria, Hayden, go sit with Nathan over there."_

_"Why am I being punished?" The girl muttered, stomping over to Nathan's table. She forcefully pulled out the chair and slumped down in the seat, scowling._

_"I'm Hayden, by the way," the boy grinned._

_"I don't care," the girl snapped back._

_"What's your name?" Nathan asked her._

_"Victoria." She grabbed a piece of paper and some colored pencils. "You're Nathan Prescott, right? You're really rich."_

_"Really rich," Nathan agreed. "Are you?"_

_"Of course." Victoria turned towards Hayden and, with a glare, asked, "Are you?"_

_"Just a little bit," Hayden replied._

_"That's good. I wouldn't want to be friends with someone with no money."_

_Nathan caught the teacher rolling her eyes._

_"Do you guys want to be friends?" Hayden asked._

_Victoria made a face. "You stole my Barbie doll. So no."_

_"I'm sorry." Hayden didn't sound apologetic at all, but only Nathan could hear it in his voice, if the expression on Victoria's face softening was anything to go by. He was used to making fake apologies, so he knew when one was being made._

_"It's okay, I guess," Victoria said with a small shrug. "Do you want to draw?"_

_Hayden's nose scrunched up. "Drawing is for girls."_

_"It is not!"_

_"Is too!"_

_"Quiet!" The teacher snapped, effectively shutting the two kids up._

_The three had lunch together every day from then on, and played together during recess. That usually included them making fun of the other students, because jeez, the rest of them were so stupid and poor. In their seven year old minds, being poor was literally the worst thing ever._

_"I'm glad I met you guys," Victoria said one day, munching on a peanut butter sandwich during lunch._

_"We're pretty awesome together," Hayden agreed._

_"Exactly! I hope we can stay this way until we grow old."_

_Nathan rolled his eyes. "Do you know how long that is? It's, like, practically a million years away."_

_"Then we'll spend a million years together," Victoria shrugged. "I don't mind."_

_"...I guess I don't, either."_

 

* * *

 

 

_When Nathan was only eight, he got into his first fight._

_It hadn't been **his** fault. He was just standing up for Victoria. What, was he supposed to let some asshole bully her? No way._

_He had just been minding his own business, waiting for Victoria by the classroom door while she went to get her lunchbox. Everything was fine. He had been having a great day, which was very rare. His teacher had even praised him for his good behavior, which was also very rare. He was determined to let absolutely nothing ruin his good mood._

_And then he heard Victoria cry out._

_Nathan jumped at the sound. "Victoria?" He pushed himself off the wall and ran into the cubby room where everyone had their backpacks and coats hung up._

_Victoria was on the ground, face grimaced in pain. In front of her was Luke, a well-known douche bag who liked to pick on anyone who would let him._

_"What did you do to her?" Nathan snarled, rushing to his best friends_ side.

_"Mind your own business, Prescott," Luke snapped back._

_Victoria sat up and allowed Nathan to help her to her feet, sniffling._

_"Are you okay?" Nathan asked quietly, holding onto her shoulders._

_"He-he shoved me down because I wouldn't give him any money," she said, tears starting to slide down her cheeks._

_Nathan felt a flash of anger._

_"What the hell is your problem?" He hissed, moving to stand protectively in front of Victoria. "Why don't you go pick on someone else and leave my friends alone?"_

_Luke laughed. "Like **you're** any better. You and your friends make fun of anyone who isn't as good as you. But you know what?" Luke took a step forward, facing becoming a sneer. "You and your stupid friends aren't better than us. You're all rich trash!"_

_Nathan's fists clenched. "Back. Off."_

_"Make me, bitch." Luke took another step forward. Victoria tugged on the back of Nathan's shirt, trying to get him to walk away, but he ignored her. There was no way he was letting this dick beat him._

_"At least our family's **have** money," Nathan smirked. "What does your family have?"_

_Luke's eyes narrowed. "At least I'm not a psycho."_

_"...What did you say?"_

_"Oh, come on. You're so messed up, Nathan. And everyone here knows it. You're just-you're just crazy. And for what reason? Does daddy not love you enough? Is it because your mommy was dumb enough to get herself killed in that car accident?"_

_With an angry yell, Nathan dashed forward and threw his entire body into Luke, knocking down the taller boy hard. He didn't waste a second as he got on top of him and raised his fist high, feeling some kind of twisted satisfaction when he sees the look of fear on Luke's face._

_"Nathan, don't-!" Victoria shouted, but Nathan ignored her and slammed his fist across Luke's face._

_**Holy crap, that hurt!** Nathan thought, wincing as pain flashes through his fist and up his arm. He doesn't let the pain stop him. He continuously punches Luke, and it's almost like he's not even really there. It's like some kind of switch flipped and he became a totally different person, watching himself beat the shit out of his classmate._

_There's blood all over_ _Nathan's fist and he loved it. Victoria was screaming for him to stop, but he just can't. He doesn't want to. He wants to teach this asshole a lesson he'll never forget. He wants to make him pay for hurting his best friend and talking shit about his family._

_Nobody fucks with Nathan Prescott._

_Luke was crying, tears and snot getting all over Nathan's fist. He begged him to stop and apologizes over and over again until his words are no longer coherent, but Nathan didn't care. He wanted to fucking **kill** this kid._

_Just as he was about to slam his fist across Luke's face again, he felt someone grab him from behind and yanked him off of Luke. He's not sure who it is, but he thrashed violently against the hold anyway._

_"Get off of me!" He screamed. "Let me kill him! Mother fucker! I'll kill him!"_

_"Nathan, stop it!" It's the principle. "Stop it right this instant!"_

_After another minute of screaming and thrashing, Nathan does._

_It's like the switch was flipped again and he was now back in his body. Everything that just happened hits him hard, and when he looks over at Luke and sees two of his teachers trying to calm down the bloody and sobbing boy, his eyes widen in horror._

**_His face is a mess...I did that to him._ **

_He didn't feel entirely bad, because Luke sure as hell had it coming. But, though he'll never admit it out loud, he knows he went a little too far. He became like some kind of rabid animal, and for that he's ashamed._

_"What happened here?" The principle demanded, loosening his hold on Nathan when he feels the boy start to relax._

_"He hurt Victoria!" Nathan snapped._

_The principle raised and eyebrow and looked over at the frightened girl. "Is this true?"_

_Victoria swallowed. "Yes, sir. Luke shoved me to the ground and then said horrible things to Nathan about his mother and father when Nathan tried to defend me."_

_"I see." The principle sighed, suddenly looking ten years older than he was. "Ms. Harrington, Mr. Isaac's, please escort Luke to the nurses office. I'll be down in my office with Nathan."_

_The two teachers nodded and helped Luke_ _struggle to his feet, trying to stay as far away from Nathan as the tiny room would allow them to._

_**They don't have to do that,** Nathan thought, **I'm not gonna attack him again.**_

_"Is your hand okay, or do you need to go to the nurse, too?" The principle asked him._

_"I'm fine," Nathan grumbled. The principle breathed a sigh of relief, because God forbid Nathan Prescott gets hurt at school. He gently hauled the boy to his feet._

_"Victoria, I'm going_ _to need you to come down with us as well."_

_Victoria nodded. Nathan tried to catch her eyes as he was led out the door, but she refused to meet them. A wave of shame and slight fear washed over him. Was she afraid of him?_

_  
Nathan had to sit in the reception area while the principle talked to Victoria. His father's been called and would be there shortly to come get him. He felt more than a little nervous. His dad was going to skin him alive for getting into_ a fight. _Sean wanted everyone to think that he has the perfect son, when in truth he had entirely the opposite._

_His father was furious when he showed up, shooting Nathan a look that terrified the boy. But Sean hides it well in front of the faculty._

_"I understand Nathan was angry, and he had a reason to be," the principle said when they were all seated in his office. "But nearly beating a student to death is not the answer. If I hadn't stopped him, I'm not sure what would have happened."_

_"I agree," Sean said in a low voice. "I'll see to it that Nathan is properly punished."_

_The principle cleared his throat, suddenly looking even more nervous than he already did. "Yes, well, I'm afraid we're going to have to suspend Nathan for a few days."_

_**Oh, I'm so dead,** Nathan thought with a feeling of dread._

_Sean was quiet for a moment. Then he turned to his son. "Nathan, go wait outside for me."_

_Nathan looked between his father and his principle, who was sweating bullets now, and then quietly got up and left the room._

 

_"Am I suspended?" Nathan asked his father softly on the way home._

_"No. I took care of it." Sean didn't look at his son when he spoke, and there was an edge to his tone that Nathan didn't like. "He wants you to see a professional."_

_"Like, a shrink?"_

_"Yes."_

_Nathan swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Am I going to see one?"_

_"Of course not," Sean snapped. "No son of mine is going to some damn shrink."_

_Nathan felt a bit relieved, but there was still a question he had, and he was afraid of the answer. "Am I crazy, dad?"_

_Sean didn't answer at first._

_"I don't know, Nathan," he finally whispered._

_Nathan felt tears well up his eyes and turned his head to look out the window, not wanting his father to see him cry._

* * *

 

 

_Nathan smoked marijuana for the first time when he was fourteen._

_Hayden and Nathan were hanging out in Hayden's room playing video games, when Hayden reached under his bed and pulled out a small bag and what looked like a pipe._

_"Is that weed?" Nathan asked in surprise._

_Hayden grinned. "Yeah, man. I thought you and I could smoke some together."_

_"Since when do you smoke weed?"_

_"Tried it last night with my cousin. It was pretty fucking sweet. He gave me my own bag and one of his pipes."_

_"How was the high? What's it like?" Nathan had always been curious about weed._

_"Aw, man, it was...it was fucking awesome. I didn't even feel like myself, you know? Everything seemed so my clearer and funnier. So...you wanna try it?"_

_Nathan bit his lip, thinking. "I'm supposed to have dinner with my family in an hour. Do you think I'll be fine by then?"_

_Hayden shrugged. "Depends on how high you get and how normal you can act when you're high. I would say take the chance. You could use a little break from reality."_

_Nathan couldn't have agreed more with that, but did he really want to take the chance of acting like a complete moron at dinner? His father would be furious if he found out Nathan smoked pot._

**_Why should I even give a shit? He can't be any more disappointed in me than he already is._ **

_"Fuck it," Nathan smirked. "Hand it over."_

_Hayden grinned and took the weed out of the bag. The smell made Nathan's nose wrinkle. Hayden carefully pulled apart the weed with his hands, making sure there were no seeds. When he was done, he placed the weed in the pipe._

_"Watch me," he instructed. Nathan nodded and watched as Hayden took a hit off the pipe, lighting it up with his thumb over the hole on the side. Hayden makes a small choking noise, the smoke being too much for his lungs as he tries to hold it in for a few seconds, and then not-so-gracefully exhales._

_"Beautiful," Nathan said flatly._

_Hayden glared at him. "Its only my second time, asshole. Here." He holds out the pipe to Nathan, who takes it after a moment of hesitation. There was something oddly terrifying and exciting about getting high for the very first time._

_Nathan does exactly what Hayden did. The smoke is harsher than cigarettes, something Nathan only smoked once in a while, and he ended up coughing violently._

_Hayden let out a bark of laughter. "And you were laughing at me."_

_"Shut the fuck up," Nathan muttered. He tries it again, carefully and slowly, and forced himself not to cough as he holds the smoke in his chest. His heart is beating rapidly and there's a weird feeling in chest after he exhales._

_"What the hell is this?" Nathan asked, holding his chest._

_"What, the feeling in your chest? It's normal, don't worry. It could be because we're new to this or because we're smoking out of a pipe. I don't know. My cousin said it still happens to him sometimes." Hayden plucks the lighter and pipe out of Nathan's hands and takes another hit._

_The two pass the pipe back and forth for a while until there's nothing left. Nathan's eyes felt incredibly heavy and he's very aware of his heart racing. He turned to talk to Hayden, and holy shit did he do that in fucking slow motion? Holy shit._

_"You look high as fuck," Hayden laughed, voice sounding far away._

_Nathan broke into a fit of giggles. "Duuude." Fuck, even his voice sounded different._

_The two boys say there, clutching their sides laughing as hard as they could._

_"I need food," Hayden chuckled._

_Nathan nodded eagerly. "Bro, I'm so fucking hungry."_

_"You got the munchies."_

_"Munchies...what a weird fucking word." And Nathan was laughing again._

_Leaving Hayden's room and going downstairs-which took about five minutes since they were so afraid of falling-was like a blur. Every step of the way was just...weird. He kept twitching and every ten seconds Nathan found himself thinking, **is that my feet that are moving? Did I really just open that door? Is this really happening? Holy fuck that's a nice painting!**_

_"I guess you're one of the those guys," Hayden commented once they entered the kitchen._

_"Huh?"_

_"The guys who act like complete morons when their stoned. You are definitely not going to be fine when you have dinner in..." Hayden looked at the clock, "about a half hour."_

_Nathan blinks. "A half hour? Bro."_

_"I know, bro."_

_"That's in like, five minutes!"_

_"More like thirty." Hayden grinned. He wasn't even close to being more sober than Nathan was, but he was better at handling it._

_"Whatever," Nathan waved him off. "I just want some fuckin' food!" He paused. "And some water." He hadn't even noticed how numb his tongue suddenly felt._

_"I'm on it!" Hayden said in a stupidly high-pitched voice. He dashed over to the fridge, looking absolutely ridiculous as he did so, and it caused Nathan to double over in laughter. He then watched in amazement as Hayden quickly took out just about everything in the fridge._

_"Holy shit, that's a lot of food!" Nathan's eyes were practically bugging out of his head at the sight._

_"Yeah, I got the good shit!" Hayden paused and then stared at Nathan._

_Nathan stared back at Hayden._

_They both stared at each other for a good thirty seconds._

_"Oh, right!" Hayden snapped his fingers. "I forgot to get the water!"_

_"Dumbass!" Nathan laughed._

_Three glasses of water and another bowl smoked later, Nathan and Hayden were laying on Hayden's bed, completely gone. Empty plates and a bag of chips sat at the end of the bed._

_"Dude," Nathan slurred, "can we talk about mirrors for a second?"_

_Hayden rolled his eyes. "Why would I wanna talk about mirrors?"_

_"Cuz...cuz think about it, man! If there were no mirrors, we wouldn't know what we looked like. Like, if you think about it, mirrors save our lives." Nathan eyes widened at the thought of it._

_"Dude. My mind is blown."_

_"Right?"_

_"Whoa."_

_"Right?" Nathan paused. "Dude, we hit the marijuana jackpot."_

_"Double whoa."_

_  
Family dinner was a disaster._

_Nathan could barely walk straight and he had a stupid grin on his face the entire time._

_"What's got you so happy?" His sister asked him with raised eyebrows._

_Nathan blinked. "Huh?"_

_Kristine gave him a knowing smile. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."_

_"What secret? I don't have a secret!" Nathan cried._

_"Just try and act normal, okay?"_

_**Normal. Right. Act normal, Nathan. Normal normal normal normal normal.** _

_"Dinner's ready!" Nathan stepmother called from the dining room._

_Kristine wrapped and arm around Nathan's shoulders. "Come on, bro."_

_**Holy shit** , Nathan thought when they entered the dining room, **look at all this food**! He and Hayden had eaten everything in the fridge and he was still starving._

_His legs felt like jelly as he slumped down in his seat. He didn't bother to wait for everyone else to get settled and immediately started filling his plate, not stopping until he couldn't fit another ounce of food on it._

_"Nathan," his father said sharply._

_Nathan's head shot up and gulped when he saw everyone's eyes on him._

_**Fuck! They know. They know I'm high. They're gonna kill me. My life is over. Good job, Nathan. Your whole future has been destroyed because of your stupidity. Way to fucking go.** _

_"Yes, dad?" He squeaked._

_"Do you think you can save some food for the rest of us?"_

_**Oh**. "Sorry."_

_"Why are you so hungry?" Annie inquired, taking very small portions._

_"Does it matter?" Nathan snapped back._

_His father slammed his hand down. "Damn it, Nathan! Stop talking to your stepmother like that!"_

_Nathan laughed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever."_

_"What is with this attitude all of a sudden?" Sean hissed._

_"Nothing, man," Nathan said with a grin. He picked up his fork and began to dig into his food. It almost scared him how fast he shoveled it down._

_"I think he's just tired, dad," Kristine said, shooting Nathan a look._

_Sean snorted. "Tired. Right." He narrowed his eyes at his son. "Why are your eyes so red?"_

_"I don't know," Nathan said, giving his father a smart-ass look, "you tell me."_

_Kristine sucked in a breath._

_Annie's eyes widened._

_Sean looked downright dangerous._

_"Nathan," he said slowly, "are you high?"_

_Nathan froze. "Um, what?"_

_"Now that you said it, he does look stoned," Annie said to her husband._

_"What?!" Nathan gasped. "I'm high? Well, why didn't anyone tell me?"_

_Kristine stifled a laugh, which caused Nathan to erupt into a fit of giggles._

_"Nathan!" Sean barked._

_Nathan held up his hands in surrender, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing anymore._

_"What was it? Marijuana?" His father continued._

_"It was nothing, man. Chill." Nathan gave a big roll of his eyes and leaned back against his seat, kicking one leg up to sit on the table._

_"Nathan, please take your leg off the table," Annie said quietly._

_Nathan let out a snort and ignored her._

_"Nathan," Kristine warned, softly so only he could hear her._

_"She's not my mom, I don't have to listen to her."_

_"Go upstairs," his father growled. "Now."_

_"Whatever, man." Nathan gave a short laugh and stood up. He looked between the three with a smirk on his face. "Well, guys, it's been fun and all, but I've had enough of you for one night. Later." He grabbed his plate and his fork and gave a small wave before he left the room._

_  
Kristine knocked on Nathan's door a couple of hours later._

_"What do you want?" She heard Nathan grumble from the other side._

_"Can I come in?"_

_"Whatever."_

_She rolled her eyes and opened the door, closing it behind her once she was in the room. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave her brother a disapproving look._

_"What the fuck is that look for?" Nathan snapped. He looked exhausted, but he seemed to be much more sober._

_"Dad is super pissed, you know."_

_He shrugged. "Dad is always super pissed. I'm used to it."_

_Kristine sighed and moved to sit down on the edge of his bed. "Seriously, Nathan, it's fine with me if you want to smoke weed. But you can't act like that. You have to...be cool about it."_

_"Give me a break," he groaned. "It was my first time, okay?"_

_"Well, I guess the first time is always the craziest," Kristine said with a small laugh. "But next time...just sober up before you come home."_

_Nathan rolled his eyes but nodded._

_"So...did you like it?" She asked him._

_The corner of Nathan's mouth twitched. "I mean, I guess it was alright."_

_"Dude, you were totally stoned. I'd say it was more than alright."_

_They both laughed._

_"Aw, man," Nathan chuckled. "You think dad is ever gonna get over this?"_

_Kristine gave a small shrug. "He'll probably hang it over your head for a while."_

_"I wouldn't expect anything less from him."_

_Nathan's father didn't speak to him again for three days._

* * *

 

_"So my son has to go to therapy sessions now."_

_Sixteen-year-old Nathan froze in the entrance to the kitchen. His father was sitting at the kitchen table, a bottle of whiskey clutched in his right hand._

_Sean Prescott held his son's stare with a look of hatred in his eyes. And that look was all it took for it to click in Nathan's mind. His father hated him for who he was, for something he couldn't change about himself without therapy sessions and medication. And even those two things never did much for him._

_Knowing his father could hate him for something that was out of his control caused him agony. And he hated that his own father could do that to him._

_"Dad, I-" Nathan began to say, because for some reason he felt like he had to explain himself to his father and make him understand._

_"You don't need help, Nathan," Sean cut him off, and it was then that Nathan noticed the slur in his father's voice. "Your outbursts, your violent behavior, your disrespect towards authority--that's all for attention."_

_Nathan's jaw clenched. "It is not. If you would just pay attention for once-"_

_"Shut up, you little shit! I support this family. What the fuck do you do? Nothing, that's what." Sean paused only long enough to take a swig from the bottle in his hand. "You party and get high and cause trouble."_

_"What else is there to do?" Nathan said, a bitterness creeping into his voice. "You're never around, Kristine is too busy getting ready to graduate. So tell, me, dad," Nathan spat the name, "what do you want me to do?"_

_"Don't take that tone with me," Sean snarled. "I won't take your disrespect."_

_Nathan could tell this was going nowhere good, and it filled him with a sense of dread. If he was smart, he would run to his room and lock the door until his father sobered up._

_But Nathan wasn't that smart._

_And a part of him wanted to fight his father._

_"You don't deserve my respect," Nathan shot back, anger rising more and more inside of him._

_"Nathan-"_

_"No!" Nathan took a step forward, hands clenching. "You've treated me like shit since I was a fucking kid! You were never fucking there for me! Even mom despised you-"_

_Sean's fist came down on the table. "Don't you bring your mother into this!" He roared, jumping out of seat, the bottle still clenched in his hand._

_"Did mom know you were fucking Annie behind her back? Did she know?" Nathan yelled over him. "I bet you were just waiting for her to divorce your ass! I bet her death was a big relief to you!"_

_The words left his mouth before he could stop them._

_"You sick-"_

_"Yes, I am sick, dad! And instead of trying to understand why or help me, you blame me for this! I can't help that I'm this way, dad! Why the fuck can't you see that?"_

_"No Prescott has ever had to go to therapy or be on a million different medications! You're an embarrassment to this family, Nathan!" Sean stepped dangerously towards his son. "And I'm getting a little sick of my own son embarrassing our family."_

_Angry tears welled up in Nathan's eyes. "Well, I'm so sorry, dad," he spat. "I'm so sorry that I'm depressed and psychotic. I'm sorry that I've considered suicide too many times to count. I'm sorry that drugs and alcohol are the only things that numb the pain. **I'm fucking sorry**."_

_And then he said the worst possible thing he could say in that moment._

_"And I'm especially sorry that I got stuck with a fucking piece of shit, self-absorbed bastard for a father."_

_With an angry yell, Sean threw the bottle at his sons's head. Nathan managed to duck at the last second, hands flying to cover his head. The sound of glass shattering was almost deafening. He could hear the alcohol running down the wall and dripping onto the floor._

_Nathan stood there, body frozen in shock. His father had never been violent with him, ever, no matter how drunk he got._

_"What the fuck is wrong with you-?!" Nathan began to shout, but before he could blink his father's hands were wrapped around his neck, pushing Nathan up against the wall._

_"Get the fuck off me!" He choked out. His hands flew on top of his father's, trying desperately to get the man off of him. But his father was too strong. His eyes scanned the room for something that he'd be able to use to defend himself, but the wall wasn't near the counters where everything was. He was trapped._

_"Let me go!"_

_"You've always disobeyed me," Sean sneered, ignoring his son. "You've done nothing but bring shame to this family! I'm fucking sick of it!" His hands tightened around his throat, fingernails digging into the skin._

_Fury and adrenaline surged through Nathan and with the strength he didn't know he had, he shoved his father as hard as he could. Sean stumbled backwards and fell against the table. Nathan let out a gasp as he could finally breathe, and he glared down at his father._

_"Don't you...don't you ever fucking touch me again! I'll call the fucking cops on you, you hear?!"_

_"You honestly think they would believe you?" Sean laughed, slowly standing up. "The cops wouldn't believe some psychotic, drug-addicted little shit. I own this town, boy, and the people who live in it."_

_"The bruises on my neck would be proof enough!"_

_"I'll tell them you did it to yourself." Sean smirked._

_"Fuck you!" Nathan surged forward to do...well, he didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but it didn't matter. Even in his drunken state Sean was quicker, and his fist collided with Nathan's face._

_Nathan let out a yelp of pain as he felt his nose crack. Blood poured down his nose and onto his lips. Sean's body collided into his. Nathan's back hit the ground hard, his father now on top of him with his hands back on his throat._

_"Get...off...of...me," Nathan wheezed, struggling to throw his father off of him._

_"I should've taught you a lesson a long time ago," his father growled._

_Nathan could feel the oxygen being cut off from his lungs, and for once in his life, he felt like fighting for his life._

_If anyone was going to kill him, it was going to be himself._

_"I said get off me!" Nathan voice was a loud growl and he didn't even recognize his own voice. He began to thrash wildly, enough to cause his father to let go one of his hands. With all of the strength he could muster, his hands curled into a fist and slammed it into the side of his father's head._

_Sean groaned and rolled off of his son. Nathan backed up until his back was against the wall. Shaking, he reached behind him and used the wall to help him push himself up. It was a struggle, as his legs were shaking badly and he felt like collapsing._

_And then his father began to sob._

_"God help me," he moaned, hands covering his face. "God help me, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, son. I'm so sorry. God forgive me."_

**_Don't fall for it, Nathan. Look at what he just did to you._ **

_"Fuck you," Nathan spat. "Fuck you!" And then he forced himself to move his legs and staggered towards the front door, having to lean against the walls for support on the way. He felt like his body was ready to give out at any moment, but he pushed himself to throw open the front door and stumble down the two steps._

_Everything seemed to become a blur after that. He remembers being barely stable enough to drive. Somehow, though, he was able to make it back to the school without crashing the car._

_Stumbling up the steps, however, was a problem. He tripped twice and nearly gave up even trying to make it up the stairs._

_**Get to Vic's room, Nathan,** he shouted to himself. **Come on, you can do it. Fight, damn it!**_

_Those words echoed in his mind and it was enough to get him up those stairs and towards the girls dorm._

_There were very few people outside. He got a few stares, but no one bothered to go up and offer to help him. No one wanted to be the victim of his wrath, and everyone knew what he was like. They probably figured he had partied too hard._

**_Almost there. Just a few more steps, Nathan. You can do it._ **

_And then he heard her voice._

_"Nathan? Oh my god!"_

_He slightly turned around and met the horrified look on Victoria's face. Relief washed over him._

_God, she was beautiful._

_"Hey, Vic," he whispered, giving her a small smile. He felt his knees buckle and he didn't bother to resist collapsing. Because he was here with her now, and that was the only thing he wanted._

_Victoria rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him to hold him up._

_"Jesus, Nathan," she cried, "what happened?"_

_"Long story," he grumbled, leaning against her. "Can we go to you room?"_

_She bit her lip, obviously debating whether to take him to the hospital or not. But she knew that Nathan couldn't handle that right now, so she sighed and half-carried him back to her dorm room._

_As soon as he was inside, he collapsed on her bed._

_"Are you gonna tell me what the hell happened?" She demanded, hands on her hips._

_"Later," he choked. "Now I just need to..." He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep only seconds later._

 

_Nathan cracked his eyes open and let out a loud groan. His head throbbed painfully and his body ached._

_"Good, you're awake," Victoria said, sounding relieved. "I thought I was gonna have to get the nurse."_

_Nathan rubbed his eyes and slowly forced himself to sit up. "How long have I been out?" His throat felt raw._

_"Like, five hours."_

_"Awesome."_

_Victoria went to sit next to him and gave him a sad look. "Who did this to you, Nathan?"_

_"Who do you think?" Nathan grunted, wincing at the flash of pain he felt._

_Victoria chewed her lip, thinking. Then her eyes widened. "Your Dad did this to you?" She sounded shocked. She knew how much of an asshole Sean was, but to beat his own son? She never thought he was capable of that._

_"Yup."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I'm fucking crazy, that's why," Nathan snapped. "His son is in fucking therapy and he can't stand that." He paused. "And he was pretty wasted."_

_Victoria immediately wrapped her arms around her friend, careful not squeeze him too hard. "I'm sorry, Nathan." Her voice was filled with remorse._

_"Why are you sorry?" He asked bitterly. "You didn't do this to me."_

_"It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm still sorry. You didn't deserve that."_

_Before he could stop himself, he said, "Didn't I?"_

_Victoria's eyes widened and she looked at him angrily. "Of course you didn't! He's your Father, he shouldn't ever lay his hands on you! Especially for something that isn't your fault!"_

_Nathan winced. "Can we lower the volume, Vic?"_

_"Can you stop being an idiot, Nathan?" She shot back._

_He felt himself growing angry. "Look at all the shit I've done. I'm failing my classes, my teachers are constantly complaining about me, and I've been taken into the police station more times than a fucking sixteen year old should! I'm fucked up, Vic!" His head throbbed again and he growled._

_Victoria's face softened and with her free hand she took his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You get in a lot of trouble," she agreed, "but you have a mental illness, Nathan. No one should be blamed for that. And your dad should be proud of you for getting the help you clearly need. So don't blame yourself for this, okay? You're trying."_

_Nathan's eyes welled up as he stared at his best friend. He didn't deserve her. Not at all._

_Making a pained sound, he moved so his head was on her lap. Tears slid down his cheeks and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from making any noise._

_"It's okay," Victoria soothed, running her hands through his hair. "You're okay now. I won't let him hurt you again."_

_Nathan squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sob. They both stayed for a long time, until he had calmed down and decided it was time to go back home._

_"I have to face him at some point," Nathan said softly when Victoria began to protest him leaving. "I'll be okay."_

_"Promise me you'll call the police if he tries anything."_

_"...I promise."_

_It was the biggest lie he ever told at the time._

_His father was sitting at the table once again when he walked inside the house. Sean had his face in his hands._

_Nathan stood there for a moment, heart pounding, and then tried to quickly make a break for the stairs. The floorboards, however, seemed to be against him, as they creaked on the first step._

_His eyes slammed shut and his jaw clenched. **Shit**._

_Sean looked up and their eyes met. Nathan could see how red and puffy his father's eye was. His knuckles were bruised and he looked ten years older._

_They held each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity._

_"Nathan..." His father began to say, and Nathan was surprised to find the remorse in his eyes. His father was never sorry for anything._

_Nathan didn't answer. Instead, he turned away from his father and went up the stairs to the room, wincing the whole way because his body hurt so bad._

_They didn't talk about what happened. When Nathan was questioned by his sister and teachers, he told them that he got into a fight. It was too much of a believable lie. The fight was never mentioned again, and both him and his father acted like it never happened. It was easier that way._

_But the day Sean beat his son nearly to death was the day Nathan truly began to hate his father with a deep passion._

* * *

_"Nathan, I'm moving to Brazil," Kristine told him the night of her graduation. The family had gone out to celebrate--a quite dinner between Sean, Annie, and his two children who didn't exactly want to be there with them. Now, Nathan and his sister were having their own little celebration, which consisted of them sitting on the roof of their house with a bottle of whiskey and a joint._

_As soon as the words left her mouth, Nathan's heart nearly stopped._

_"What?" He nearly whispered._

_"I'm...I'm moving to Brazil. I want to serve in the peace corps. I want to get away from this town." Kristine took a hit off the joint and didn't meet his eyes._

_Nathan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're leaving me?" He had to be super high or drunk, because there was no way his sister, the one who always looked after him, the one he always went to when he needed to talk to someone, was leaving home. She's been by his side through everything, and to think that she was leaving him-abandoning him-was too much. She was the last person Nathan expected to leave him, and now she would be the first._

_"Nathan, are you listening?"_

_"Why?" Was all he could get out._

_She sighed. "I just can't deal with dad anymore, Nathan. It's becoming to be too much for me." She took a deep breath. "I talked it over with mother-"_

_"Do not call that bitch our mother," Nathan snarled. "She's not our mom, okay?"_

_"She's the only mom we have."_

_Nathan frowned and looked down at his lap._

_"This has nothing to do with you, Nathan," Kristine said softly. "I'm not leaving because of you. I just really have to get away from here. I know you don't understand-"_

_"Of course I understand!" Nathan's voice came out sharper than he intended, but he did feel a bit of satisfaction when she flinched away. "Dad fucking hates me! He makes my life fucking miserable! If I could get away from him for good, I would."_

_Kristine shook her head. "I'm not leaving for good. I **will** be back. I promise you." There was something in her tone that made it all sound...final. Like this was actually happening and he couldn't do anything to stop it._

_"Kristine," he strangled the words out of his throat, "you can't leave me here. I need you."_

_She lowered her head at that. "Nathan, please...this is already difficult."_

_"I would fucking hope so! For fucks sake--look at me!"_

_Kristine reluctantly met his eyes and the hopelessness he saw in hers was enough to make him squeeze out angry tears. It was like she was making a choice she didn't want to make but had to. Like there was nothing left in this town for her, not even her own brother. Their father was driving her away. And yeah, obviously she wanted to go to Brazil to join the Peace Corps, because why the hell else would she go all the way there? But if she had ever questioned her decision to go, their father finalized it all for her._

_"Don't go," Nathan whispered._

_Kristine shook her head, refusing to let his words stop her. "I'm going, Nathan. I'm sorry...I love you and I will always be here for you...But I'm leaving."_

_Nathan's heart shattered._

_"...You can't be here for me if you're all the way in Brazil," he snarled, tears sliding down his cheeks. He furiously wiped them away and stood up. "I'll never see you. You may as well be fucking dead."_

_Kristine gasped at his words and Nathan immediately felt a crushing guilt. But he was too angry to apologize and take them back._

_"Happy graduation, sis," was all he said before he left her sitting there alone._

_Kristine left a week later. Nathan had never felt so fucking alone in his life._

 

* * *

  
_When he was sixteen-and-a-half, Nathan lost his virginity._

_It was with a twenty-year-old girl he met at one of the Vortex parties. She was a friend of a friend. Nathan remembers being drunk when she approached him._

_He got her a drink, they talked for a while, and the next thing he knew he was laying on his bed, her on top of him and moaning too loud, and him trying not to come too early because Hayden said that was a big no when having sex._

_As soon as they were done she got dressed, gave him her number, and left, which was fine by him. He ripped up her number as soon as she was out the door._

_A whole new world opened up for him after that night. He finally understood what everyone meant when they said sex was fucking amazing, mind blowing. It was better than any drug he ever took. And he was anticipating the next time he would get to do it again._

* * *

 

_At age seventeen, his relationship with Victoria changed._

_"I want to lose my virginity," she told him one day when they were hanging out in his room._

_Nathan paused just as he was about to light a cigarette._

_"Uh, okay? Go for it."_

_She sighed. "I can't think of anyone who would be worth losing my virginity to."_

_Nathan shrugged and leaned back against his bed, not meeting her eyes. "Uh...Hayden?"_

_"Um, no," she snorted, "definitely not."_

_"Did you have anyone in mind?"_

_"Well...one person." Her face turned slightly pink and she looked away._

_Nathan raised his eyebrows and smirked. "And who's the lucky guy?"_

_She didn't answer him._

_"Vic? Who is it?"_

_"You," she said so softly that Nathan couldn't even be sure it's what she really said._

_He scooted closer to her. "Who?"_

_"It's you, okay?" She snapped, jumping off the bed. "I wanted to lose it to you."_

_There was an awkward silence._

_"Uh...why?"_

_She shrugged. "You're my best friend. I feel safe with you. I've known your forever."_

_"Exactly," he replied, shifting uncomfortably. "It would be weird."_

_"Maybe, but...I don't know." She sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "I'm just being stupid, I guess."_

_Okay, so it wasn't like Nathan never thought of him and Victoria in bed together. He's noticed her body on more than one occasion. It was never a serious thought, though. It honestly disappeared as soon as it entered his mind. She was his best friend after all, his family._

_But here she was admitting she wanted to have sex with him, and he didn't know if he could deny her. He understood that she wanted her first time to be with someone she knew and trusted._

_And if he was being honest, he would rather it be with him than with anyone else._

_"Okay," he finally said. She looked up at him in surprise. "Yeah, okay."_

_"Really? Are you sure? Because I know this could change everything between us-"_

_He placed his hand on top of hers. "Vic, seriously. I'll do it. And I don't think it'll change our relationship that much. We'll still be best friends. We'll just be best friends who, uh, sleep together."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying this will be more than a one time thing?"_

_The corner of his mouth twitched. "That's all up to you, babe."_

_And that's how it all began._

_Nathan remembered to be careful with her. She was new to this, scared. And he would never admit it, but so was he. This was only his second time, and it wasn't with a complete stranger. This was Victoria. She was special._

_It was awkward at first. Nathan wasn't sure what she would like and what she wouldn't, and he didn't want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable. He nearly ended the whole thing all together when he broke through her hymen and she let out a cry of pain._

_"Shit, Vic, I'm sorry," he croaked, mind hazing over. He tried to pull out, but she dug her fingers into his back to stop him._

_"Don't," she gasped. "It always hurts the first time. I'll be fine in a second."_

_And she was. A few thrusts later she started to get into it and damn, Nathan couldn't believe she was a virgin because she definitely knew what she was doing._

_When it was over, she snuggled up to him. For a second he tensed up, then relaxed. It was just Victoria, and it was probably what she needed after what they just did._

_"I love you, Nathan," she whispered sleepily to him._

_Nathan froze._

_If she remembered what she had said, she never brought it up. He was grateful for that. Because yeah, of course he loved her. She was his best friend. But he was not in love with her, and he couldn't tell her something he didn't mean. Not her._

* * *

 

_When Nathan was seventeen, Mark Jefferson started teaching at Blackwell Academy._

_He would never admit it, but he was kind of excited. He was a big fan of Jefferson's work. Who wasn't?_

_Whenever he was in the man's class, all of his attention went to the lecture Jefferson was giving, which was out of the ordinary for him because he never paid attention in any of his classes. But something about Jefferson's class just...captivated him._

_"Should I be jealous?" Victoria teased him when she caught him staring at Jefferson for a little too long._

_His face turned red. "What the fuck, Vic? Of course not. I just-"_

_"Think he's so cool?" Victoria smiled in understanding. "I think he is, too. And sexy."_

_Nathan rolled his eyes and changed the subject._

* * *

 

_"Nathan, can we talk for a minute?"_

_Nathan stopped short, causing the person behind him to bump into his back._

_"Hey, watch it," the guy behind him snapped._

_Nathan turned his head and gave the guy an icy glare, smirking when then the guy lowered his head and quickly left._

_"Am I in trouble for something?" Nathan asked Jefferson as he walked to stand in front of the desk._

_Jefferson gave him a gentle smile. "Not at all, Nathan. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."_

_"Uh, I'm fine," Nathan said, eyebrows drawing together. "Why?"_

_"Well, it's just that...your black eye-"_

_Ah. His black eye. Yeah, it had been a gift from his dear old father. Of course the asshole had been drunk again. This was only the second time he's laid his hands on Nathan, and Nathan chose not to fight back this time._

_He deserved it._

_"I got into a fight," Nathan said flatly, crossing his arms and gave Jefferson a look that said he was not in the mood to talk about this._

_Jefferson ignored it. "Are you positive?"_

_"Uh, I was there, so I'm pretty positive."_

_The older man tilted his head, studying him in a way that made Nathan avert his eyes uncomfortably._

_"I know I'm just your teacher, and I'm sure you have plenty of people to talk to," Jefferson said gently, "but if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here."_

_Nathan's stomach twisted. He wasn't used to people being so nice to him. Glares and stares and whispers behind his back was the only thing he knew, the only thing he was used to. Any politeness towards him-which only happened on rare occasions from strangers who didn't know what he was like-made him feel uncomfortable._

_"Why do you care so much?" Nathan asked in a hard voice. "You're just my fucking art teacher."_

_"Yes, I'm your art teacher. But I also care about my students. And I see a lot of potential in you, Nathan. Things that I doubt anyone else sees_."

_Something in the air seemed to change as soon as the words left Jefferson's mouth. The older man had a look in his eyes and a small smile on his face that made Nathan feel uneasy._

_"Yeah. Okay." Nathan attempted to casually back away from Jefferson. "Thanks, I guess."_

_"Anytime. And I mean it, Nathan. If you're ever in any trouble or need someone to talk to, feel free to come to me." The look on Jefferson's face relaxed, and for a moment Nathan wondered if he was just being paranoid. It wouldn't surprise him if he was. Paranoia was one of the many awesome things he struggled with._

_"Nathan?"_

_He snapped out of his thoughts and gave his teacher a short nod. "Got it. Thanks."_

_There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and then Nathan turned away and left the room._

_For the first time, he wasn't looking forward to going back to Jefferson's class._

* * *

 

_If you asked Nathan Prescott how the hell he came to trust Mark Jefferson, the answer would make him feel like an idiot, even if he really couldn't be blamed for it._

_For the first week Jefferson called Nathan up to his desk every day after class. Just wanted to check in and make sure you were okay. " **You know you can tell me anything." "I'm here for you."  "You're special."**_

_At first it made Nathan feel annoyed and pretty fucking uncomfortable. It was just weird. Everything Jefferson said always seemed to have a double meaning, though Nathan couldn't pinpoint what._

_But things seemed to change. After a month Nathan got used to it. Without realizing what was happening, he suddenly...liked having Jefferson being concerned about him and filling his head with what Nathan knew now was just bullshit, but at the time had really meant something to him. Because no one paid as much attention to him as Jefferson did, not even Victoria. After a while he came to crave it, needed to talk to Jefferson, needed to know someone actually gave a shit about him._

_And then one day, with just six words, Jefferson had him hooked._

_"You're like a son to me."_

_Like a leech, he latched onto Nathan, dug his claws into him like a monster. It was almost as if he trapped Nathan in a cage and locked it. No matter how much Nathan screamed and tried to fight, he couldn't escape._

_For a while, he didn't want to._

_Because even though he has a father, he doesn't have a father. Jefferson was the only father he had at the time, the only one who treated him like a son and not a piece of trash._

_He fucking idolized the man for it._

_It was so sick and fucked up. Jefferson was sick and fucked up. But shame on Nathan Prescott for being to fucking blind to realize it at the time._

* * *

 

_It was 1 AM when Jefferson first showed Nathan what he was really doing in Arcadia Bay._

_Not surprisingly, Nathan had been high at the time. He, Victoria and Hayden had been spending their might taking bong hits. It was a school night and Nathan knew he would never be able to make it to his first class the next day, but who gave a fuck?_

_"Bro, your phone is vibrating," Hayden said, voice low and sounding too far away._

_"Huh?" Nathan suddenly became aware of the vibration in his pocket and lazily dug it out. It took him a few tries to hit the answer button. "Yo."_

_"What took you so long to answer your phone?" Jefferson said on the other line, sounding annoyed._

_"Was busy," Nathan answered. Victoria gave him a questioning look and he shrugged, not wanting to explain anything._

_"Come to my house. I want to show you something."_

_"Like, sexual? Because I'm not into that shit, man." Nathan looked at Hayden and they both began to laugh._

_Jefferson sighed. "Are you high?"_

_"Fucking stoned."_

_"Look, I don't care how you get here. Take a bus or walk. Just get here. You need to see something."_

_Nathan rolled his eyes. "Whatever."_

_"I'll see you when you get here."_

_"Yeah." He hung up the phone and sighed. "Guys, I have to go."_

_"Go? Go where?" Victoria asked. "Who was that?"_

_Nathan rolled his eyes. "My fucking dad, okay? Now I really have to go." He reached behind him to place his hand on the tree and used it as support when he tried to stand. And that was not an easy thing to do when he was so high._

_Hayden looked at him through half-closed eyes. "You gonna drive?"_

_"Nah," Nathan waved him off, "I'll walk."_

_  
The trip to Jefferson's house wasn't a long one, but it was still a slightly difficult trip for Nathan whose legs felt like jelly._

_**Gotta stop smoking so much in one night** , he though to himself. Then he let out a giggle. **Yeah fucking right.**_

_He stumbled up the stairs that led to the front door (how he did it without falling on his ass, he'll never know), and rang the doorbell._

_No answer._

_He rang it again. "Yo, it's me, open up!"_

_Still no answer._

_Nathan cursed under his breath and banged on the door loudly. "Let me the fuck in!" He could hear the sound of footsteps and the door swung open._

_"You realize I have neighbors, don't you?" Jefferson snapped. He had white gloves on his hand and a camera hanging around his neck._

_"Should'a let me in when I rang the doorbell the first fuckin' time," Nathan shot back. He pushed past the teacher and stepped inside the house._

_It wasn't anywhere near as big as Nathan's house, but it was still big. Unsurprisingly, there were photographs and paintings all over the walls._

_"Nice crib," Nathan commented, looking around the room._

_"Wait until you see my basement." Jefferson gestured for Nathan to follow him. He led the younger man through a door and down a flight of stairs._

_"Can you turn on a light? I can't fucking see," Nathan complained._

_Jefferson ignored him._

_Once they were safely down the stairs, Jefferson flicked a switch, and Nathan winced as the sudden brightness shined in his eyes._

_"Jesus, does anyone need lights that...bright...?" His voice trailed off and his eyes widened in absolute horror._

_On the ground in the back of the room, under a set of bright lights that you would see being used in a photo shoot, laid a girl on the floor. Though his mind was spinning, Nathan was able to recognize her. Sarah Bradley, he thinks her name is._

_"Sarah?" Nathan gasped. "Sarah, what the fuck?!" He rushed across the room over to the girl and dropped to his knees. "Sarah? Sarah?" He gently shook her and only got a small moan in response. She was out of it._

_"Nathan, back away from her," Jefferson said calmly._

_Nathan looked up up at him with wide eyes. "What the fuck did you do to her? Is this what you wanted to show me?"_

_"Yes." Jefferson gave a relaxed smile and slowly walked towards Nathan. "Nathan, I realize how this must look, but it's not what you think."_

_Nathan let out a shaky breath. "Then explain it to me!"_

_"I'm not sure where to begin." Jefferson bent down and gently ran a hand through Sarah's hair. "You know, when I was growing up, I knew photography was my passion. Ever since my father first placed a camera in my hand. 'You have a taken, son,' he would say. 'You have a gift.'"_

_**The same thing Jefferson said to me,** Nathan thought, suddenly feeling dizzy._

_"The thing was, I could never find the right muse. Every picture I took never satisfied me, even when I got older. But then I found her."_

_"Her...?"_

_"She was...absolutely stunning. I've never seen such a beautiful face before. And that's when I knew I had to photograph it so I could keep it forever." Jefferson seemed to drift off into his own little world as the memories came back to him. "She wouldn't let me take her picture. I couldn't accept that. I had to capture her beauty, her innocence...So I followed her to a club."_

_Nathan's stomach lurched._

_"It was surprisingly easy to drug her," Jefferson continued, a little too casually. All I had to do was drop it into her drink when no one was looking. Getting her alone and into my car wasn't easy, but I did it somehow. I brought her to my apartment-I was in New York at the time-and I set up my own little photograph studio. That night was...life changing. I found my muse."_

_"Drugged-up girls is your muse?" Nathan asked in disbelief._

_Jefferson smiled in understanding. "I know how it must sound to an amateur. But it's not that bad. I don't hurt the girls. I simply capture them and then I bring them back to wherever they came from safely. Just like I plan to do with Sarah here."_

_Nathan shook his head. "Is this what you meant when you said I have a talent? You want me to follow in your footsteps, dont you?"_

_"Like father, like son."_

_**You're not my father** , Nathan wanted to shout. But he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Jefferson was all he had. And despite all of this, he still loved him like a father. He **needed** Jefferson._

_And at the time, he would have done anything for him._

_But could he do this?_

_"Just try it," Jefferson pressed. "I promise you that you'll enjoy it just as much as I do."_

_"I can't..."_

_"Of course you can." Jefferson placed a hang on Nathan's shoulder. "You're my son. I have nothing but faith in you."_

_**Fuck...I can't let him down. I can't. I have to do this.** _

_Nathan hesitantly reached out for the camera, hands shaking. "I'll...I'll do as you ask."_

_Jefferson smiled in approval. "I know you'll make me proud."_

_And that was the start of it. Nathan spent the next hour taking shots of the poor girl who was too out of it to defend herself. It didn't exactly feel good to do it, and Nathan felt sick the entire time. His hands shook a few times, causing him to mess up the shot, and Jefferson gave him a few disapproving looks that made his stomach churn._

_"You did good, Nathan," Jefferson praised him with a sick smile, "I'm proud."_

_**I'm proud.** Those were two words Nathan's never heard before. And hearing them made him feel...almost proud, in a sick way. But it was enough to ease a bit of the guilt he felt, and enough to take his mind off the fact that he willingly took pictures of his drugged classmate._

_"I can't wait to see how you do with the next one._

_Nathan's smile tightened. "What do we do with her?" He asked, changing the subject._

_"Bring her back to her dorm. We have to be careful, though. We can't get caught."_

_"Careful is my middle name," Nathan muttered._

_"Excellent." Jefferson crossed his arms and stared down Nathan. "You're gonna need to be careful if we're going to be doing this together."_

_By the end of the month, five binders were placed on the bookshelf down in the basement, all labeled with different names._

* * *

 

_"I need you to do something for me-for us."_

_Nathan stopped fiddling with the paper clip in his hand and glanced up. "What now?"_

_Jefferson leaned back in his seat and thought for a moment._

_"My basement is too small for our little...extracurricular activities," he said with a small chuckle at the end. "I understand there's a huge survival basement in that old barn your family owns."_

_**I fucking see where this is going,** Nathan thought, inwardly groaning._

_"Yeah, so what?" He took a seat on the edge of Jefferson's desk and gave the man a questioning look._

_Jefferson stood up and began slowly walk around the desk. "What if I asked you to talk your father into letting me turn that into my own little 'studio.'?"_

_"I think he'd tell me to fuck off."_

_"Be serious, Nathan."_

_"I am being serious-kind of. My father will just think I'm lying to him. He'll probably accuse me of trying to turn it into my own little x-rated clubhouse." Nathan rolled his eyes and let out a snort. "If you want it, ask him yourself. I doubt he would turn you down."_

_Jefferson shrugged. "You might be right about that. Do you think he would also pay for some...equipment?"_

_"That would be pushing it," Nathan answered. "But I can pay for that."_

_"And...some new drugs? The shit we've been using isn't working that well anymore."_

_"Yes," Nathan answered automatically. He winced. He just agreed to pay for date rape drugs without a second thought, and it was all for this one man._

_"Excellent." Jefferson clapped his hands together and smiled. "You're going home tomorrow, aren't you?"_

_"Yeah..."_

_"I'll go with you and I can talk to him then. I'll even put in a few good words about you."_

_Nathan chuckled without any humor. "I don't give a fuck about impressing him, so don't bother."_

_"I suppose not," Jefferson agreed. "So tomorrow?"_

_Don't do it, Nathan. Stop this now. It's already gone too fucking far-_

_**Shut the fuck up,** the devil on his shoulder seemed to hiss back. **I won't disappoint him like that. I have to make him proud.**_

_"Yeah," Nathan said quietly with a small nod, "tomorrow."_

_Of course Sean was more than happy to give the survival room to Mark Jefferson._

_And of course Nathan visited Frank the next day and got exactly what Jefferson wanted. Like the good little obedient dog he was._

* * *

 

_Nathan never thought he would end up hating the man he considered to be his father._

_He never thought the man would turn out to be crazy and could do something so...wrong._

_He never thought the man he came to trust more than just about anyone was capable of murder, capable of forcing Nathan to play a part in it._

_Nathan never thought he would end up burying Rachel Amber, a girl he knew he could have fallen in love with if given the chance. Rachel had been different than any other girl he's ever met, and fuck, he had never wanted someone so bad._

_Maybe Rachel could have been the girl for him--if she hadn't been so involved with Frank...and Jefferson._

_Knowing Rachel had fucked Jefferson-had even fallen in love with him-hurt Nathan, in a way. Heartache, he thinks it's called. And that sucked, because Nathan Prescott does not get his heart broken. He's the one who breaks the hearts. But no matter how many times he told himself to chill the fuck out and get over it, he couldn't stop his heart from throbbing._

_It didn't even matter anymore. Rachel was dead._

_"You know I care about you, Nathan," Jefferson told him after they finished burying Rachel, staring at the road of ahead of them, "but don't think I won't kill you if you tell anyone." One of his hands left the steering wheel and he gripped Nathan's arm._

_Nathan flinched and glared up at Jefferson._

_"You want to kill me," Jefferson smirked._

_Nathan blinked. "What?"_

_"I can see it in your eyes. You want to kill me." Jefferson chuckled. "I'm surprised, Nathan. I thought I was like a father to you."_

_"You were," Nathan snarled, "before you killed Rachel and had me help you bury her fucking body."_

_"I can see how this changes things," Jefferson admitted. "But don't think I'll let you get away from me so easily. You'll continue to do whatever I tell you to do, or I'll destroy your precious family's reputation."_

_"Why are you doing this to me?" Nathan asked, a lump forming in his throat. "Why me? I thought...I thought..."_

_Jefferson glanced at him. "That I what, Nathan? That I cared about you? That I consider you my son? I do."_

_"If you did, you wouldn't have involved me in this!"_

_"Nathan, I involved you in this **because** you're like my son. I wouldn't choose anyone else. I picked you to follow in my footsteps."_

_Nathan let out a snort. "And I'm supposed to be so fucking grateful, right?"_

_"As long as you keep your mouth shut, I don't give two fucks." Jeffersons voice was a snarl, and Nathan hated how he recoiled from it._

_"I trusted you," he whispered._

_Jefferson nodded. "And that was the biggest mistake you ever made."_

* * *

 

_The first time Nathan laid eyes on Max Caulfield, with her instant camera and stupid doe T-shirt, he had to admit that he thought she was pretty. She looked a bit like a twelve-year-old and she was definitely the innocent type, but still pretty._

_"Why are you staring at her?" Victoria snapped from beside him. They were both sitting under a tree outside, sharing a sandwich and chips._

_Nathan jumped and turned his head to give her a look. "I wasn't staring."_

_"Yes, you were." Victoria frowned and self-consciously crossed her arms. "Do you think she's pretty or something?"_

_This was the problem with having a friends-with-benefits thing with Victoria. She was too clingy, and she wanted him all to herself. Nathan Prescott didn't commit to anyone. And even if he did, it wouldn't be Victoria. He just didn't see her that way._

_"Jesus Christ," Nathan snapped, "relax. I'm not allowed to look at anyone else? We're not dating, Vic."_

_Victoria winced at his words. When she spoke, her tone was softer. "I know that...I just...I think you could do better than her, that's all."_

_"I'm not interested in her, Vic." He playfully nudged her. "Seriously. I was just looking at her stupid camera. The chick looks like a child."_

_Victoria laughed and the air became lighter. "Right? Like, who the fuck even has those kinds of cameras in this day in age? She looks like a total loser."_

_Nathan made a noise of agreement, but he couldn't help but look back over at the girl, and ended up meeting her eyes. Her eyes widened for a second and Nathan winked at her. Unsurprisingly, she blushed and looked away._

_Victoria punched his arm._

_"Ow! What the fuck?" He hissed, glaring at his best friend._

_"I saw that," she shot back. With a huff, Victoria got to her feet and stormed off._

_"Vic! Victoria! Come on, don't be like that, babe!" Nathan called after her. Victoria ignored him._

_He sighed and muttered to himself, "Bitches be crazy." Out of the corner of his eye he could see Max Caulfield staring at him._

* * *

 

_"Yo, bartender, refill! Hello!"_

_The bartender muttered a curse and turned towards the teenager who was currently waving cash around in the air, clearly already drunk enough._

_"You fuckin' deaf?" Nathan growled. "I said I wanted a fuckin' refill!"_

_The bartender shook his head, sighing. "I think you've had enough, son," he said as gently as he could._

_Nathan gaped at him, not being able to believe that he was being talked back to. "Did I ask for your opinion? No, I didn't! Get me another drink!"_

_The bartender hesitated for a moment, debating whether it was worth losing his license or not for this. But after deciding that he would rather deal with the police than an angry Prescott, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and went to get Nathan's drink._

_"Want some company?" A feminine voice asked from behind Nathan._

_He turned in his seat, hoping to see a hot blond with big tits and in need of his company--and what he got was a tall girl with short blue hair, a sleeve tattoo, and an outfit that clearly told Nathan she was one of those punk-rock bitches._

_"I don't know, depends on what you can offer me," he smirked. There was no way he was taking this chick to bed, but that didn't mean he couldn't mess with her._

_"Slow your roll, rich boy," she laughed, moving to sit on the bar stool next to him._

_The bartender came back and placed Nathan's drink in front of him._

_"Get her one, too," Nathan jerked his thumb towards Chloe._

_The man raised an eyebrow. "Are you legal, miss?"_

_"Duh. I got in here, didn't I?" She shot back. "I'll take a beer."_

_The bartender got her a beer and then left without another word._

_"So," Chloe said, taking a swig of her beer, "what's a Prescott doing in a shithole like this?"_

_Nathan chuckled into his glass of whiskey. "I honestly have no fucking idea." He glanced at her. "You look like you fit right in here, though."_

_He could see her stiffen, obviously taking his words as an insult (which they kind of were), but then she relaxed._

_"This is the only place that didn't card me._

_"Ah," Nathan nodded, tipping back his drink._

_They sat in silence for a minute, listening to the quiet music and the loud voices of the other customers in the bar._

_"You go to Blackwell Academy?" Nathan tried to think if he's seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't remember._

_"Used to. I got expelled." She scoffed. "Not that I'm complaining. I fucking hate that place. But I do think we had a class together a couple of years ago."_

_Nathan rolled his eyes. "Honey, I can barely remember last week."_

_"Yeah. Right."_

_"Whatever. I gotta go." Nathan stood up carefully, slightly swaying when his feet hit the floor. He leaned casually against the bar and looked at Chloe. "You wanna come?"_

_Chloe smirked and immediately stood up. "I thought you'd never ask."_

_  
As soon as Nathan and Chloe left the bar, he leaned against the brick wall and doubled over, stomach churning._

_"Whoa. Dude, you okay?" Chloe didn't even bother to make herself sound really concerned, and Nathan couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment._

_"Drank too much," he muttered. "Give me a fuckin' minute." A wave of nausea washed over him and with a muttered "fuck" he felt his legs begin to shake, nearly giving out._

_"Okay, I got you, man," Chloe laughed, grabbing Nathan's shoulders to help him stand up straight._

_"M'fine," Nathan grumbled. Chloe ignored him and braced herself under his arm, her own arm sliding around Nathan's waist. Nathan wasn't as heavy as she thought he would be, so they both easily began to walk towards Chloe's truck._

_"Did you take your car?" She asked him._

_"Walked," Nathan answered, head bowed and eyes lowered to his feet._

_They both began to walk in silence, the only sounds being their feet on the pavement and the sounds of traffic around them. Finally, after what felt like forever to Nathan but was only five minutes, they reached Chloe's truck. The dug out her car keys with her free hand and unlocked the truck._

_"Come on, get in," she grunted, opening the door and pushed Nathan inside._

_"Where you takin' me?" He slurred._

_"Your dorm, idiot." Chloe closed the door. Nathan closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. A few seconds later he heard the truck door and Chloe got in._

_"Don't throw up in my truck," she warned._

_He cracked his eyes open and shot her a glare. "I'm not gonna fuckin' throw up in your shitty truck."_

_Nathan could have been wrong, but he could have sworn he heard her mutter, "Just get what you came here for and then you never have to deal with this asshole again."_

_  
Chloe dropped Nathan on his bed._

_"What the fuck?" He grunted as he landed face first on his bed._

_"Sorry," Chloe said, sounding anything but. She turned away from him and looked around the room. "Now, where's your alcohol?"_

_Nathan groaned at the mention of it. "No more."_

_"Not even a beer?"_

_"Bottom drawer," Nathan gave in._

_Chloe grabbed the beers and moved to sit next to him on the bed. She held out the beer and, for some stupid fucking reason, he took it._

_"You're a bad influence on me," he joked._

_"Cool," she grinned back._

_Jefferson would love her, Nathan thought. Then he froze._

_This could be my chance. I bet I would really impress him if I did this all on my own. That might be enough to get the fucker off my back. And it's not like I would have anything to feel about about. The bitch is clearly trying to steal money off me. I know her type. Ive dealt with people like her before._

_"Hey," he said, standing up slowly so he wouldn't fall on his ass, "let me set our beers down over there." He nodded towards his desk._

_"I can hold mine."_

_"Don't want anything to spill on my bed." He held out his hand and after a moment Chloe reluctantly handed over her bottle._

_Perfect._

_"Why don't you put on some music?" He suggested lightly as he walked over towards his desk._

_Chloe shrugged and stood up. "Sure. But you look like the type of guy who's into rap and pop and all that shit. Not my thing."_

_Who the fuck doesn't like rap or pop? It's 2013. "Just put on the classic rock station," he snapped._

_Chloe obliged and Def Leppard filled the room. While she was fiddling with the volume, Nathan took the opportunity to quickly snatch the small pill that was in his desk and, after thinking about it for a moment, he dropped it into Chloe's drink._

_That was too easy, he thought, heart pounding._

_"Dude, can you pass me my beer?" Chloe said._

_A small voice in Nathan's head screamed at him to stop, to not go down this road. But hasn't he already gone down it?_

_"Here you go," he said, voice feeling tight. He turned around and walked over to her, handing her the beer._

_God, just let this work._

_"Thanks." Chloe took a swig and then moved to sit back down on the bed._

_Fuck, this is actually happening. No turning back now, Nathan. Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

_Nathan stood there, anticipation and fear creeping up his spine. His fingers twitched, wanting so badly to grab the camera on the couch behind him._

_Chloe saw the look on his fac and a very uneasy feeling came over her. She could also feel that something was wrong. She was beginning to feel drowsy and dizzy and nauseous all at once._

_"What did you do?" She gasped, stumbling to her feet._

_Nathan didn't answer her._

_"You fucking-" Chloe didn't get to finish her sentence._

_The last thing she remembered was hitting the floor._

_  
As soon as he made sure Chloe was completely passed out, Nathan did his best to move her in a position that he knew Jefferson would like._

_Taking a deep breath, he snatched his camera from the couch, got on his knees, and took the first shot._

_"Damn it," he growled. The shot wasn't good enough. It had to be perfect. Jefferson wouldn't accept anything less than that._

_Maybe I'm not in the right position, Nathan thought. He got up and moved so that both his legs were on either side of Chloe. There. Much better. Now he had a better shot of her face._

_It went on like that for a little while, Nathan taking as many pictures as he could in the short time he had. He had to fini_ sh _before she woke up, and he had to come up with some kind of excuse. He guesses he could just tell her she passed out, maybe say she banged her head or something. Not exactly all that believable, but it could work...right?_

_Shit. He did not plan this out as well as he thought._

_I'll just take one more for the road, he thought. All of these pictures should be enough to impress Jefferson. He'll be proud of me and then I should be safe for a while._

_With a sly grin, Nathan began to crawl towards Chloe like a predator, camera in hand._

_Chloe suddenly stirred and made a small noise, and Nathan froze. Before he could do anything, Chloe opened her eyes. She blinked a couple times, trying to get her eyes to focus. Then they landed on Nathan._

_"...Uh..." Nathan tried to come up with a fast excuse, but his mind blanked_.

"What-what are you doing?" She cried. "Get the fuck away from me, you psycho!"

"It's not what it looks like!" He jumped up, panic taking over his voice.

"Bastard!" Chloe kicked one leg out, clearly trying to aim for his dick, but he moved out of the way and her foot connected with the tall lamp by his couch. It wobbled for a second, then fell to the floor and shattered.

"Fuck!" Nathan's eyes widened. Someone probably heard that! "You stupid fucking bitch! Look at what you did!"

Chloe ignored him and wasted no time in jumping to her feet.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?!" Nathan snarled, reaching out to grab her. Chloe ducked away and, with all the strength she could muster, ran at the door as hard as she could. It busted open, causing her to stumble a bit, but she regained her footing and ran out of the boys dorm.

Nathan wouldn't have been able to catch her if he tried. He lowered his eyes down to the broken lamp and fear gripped him.

I am so fucked. She's gonna fucking tell everyone. She's gonna tell everyone, and I'll be so fucked. Jefferson's gonna fucking kill me!

  
Nathan didn't hear from Chloe for nearly a week, and he took that as a good sign. The bitch probably wasn't stupid enough to accuse him of doing anything to her. He was a Prescott, and she was some lowlife whore. She would never win against him. Why the fuck had he even been scared in the first place?

It was as if the world was flipping him off, because Chloe texted him an hour later demanding to talk to him.

Well, fuck.

Nathan brought his gun with him, one he stole from his father. If she tried to fuck with him, he can just use this to scare her.

It didn't turn out the way Nathan hoped it would.

But nothing ever did for him.

 

 

Max impatiently tapped the steering wheel as she sat the red light.

"Come on, come on," she muttered to herself. She had to get to Nathan before Chloe could kill him. She had went as far as asking Warren if she could borrow his car just so she could get there in time.

Max wasn't sure how the hell she was going to stop Chloe, but she had to try. She couldn't let Nathan die.

Hold on, Nathan, I'm coming. I won't let anything happen to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So towards the end of this chapter, my computer got messed up. For some stupid reason, it would not let me put any words in bold or italic after a certain point. I couldn't even put a line to separate the end of Nathan's section and the small section at the end with Max. I'm really sorry if anything was confusing towards the end. 
> 
> Aside from that catastrophe, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be updating the next one soon, but I definitely need to update my other two stories first. I definitely won't be gone for another month or two. 
> 
> Thank you all so much <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter heavily edited. 
> 
> Yay for semi-fast update! *Dances*
> 
> I was also able to get another chapter done for my Until Dawn story, which was not expected. I was basically only able to do it because a customer decided to be a douche bag and totally flipped on me. When I tried to defend myself, he told me to go fuck myself with a giant piece of furniture. Which is actually kind of funny now that I think about it, but at the time it actually made me cry lol. My manager told me to take an extra long break, so I spent it updating my stories. 
> 
> Thank you, douche bag customer, for giving me the opportunity to get some work down. I salute you, sir.
> 
> Anyway, enough with my life story. Enjoy this chapter <3

  
It felt like hours as those memories flashed through Nathan's mind, though it had only been maybe a minute at most. He supposed that's what people meant by your life flashing before your eyes.

He sat there, eyes closed and ready for the bullet, but it never came. He cracked an eye open.

"What the hell is taking so long?" He asked impatiently.

Chloe gulped, hand shaking around the gun. "I..."

 _She can't do it_ , Nathan thought in astonishment. _Why the fuck can't she do it_? He tried to think of why Chloe was having such a hard time killing him after it's probably the only thing that's been on her mind. 

"Are you and Max...?" She suddenly asked. _  
_

Nathan blinked. "What?"

"You and Max, asshole. Is it serious?"

"Uh, no," he answered, a little confused as to why she was bringing it up right now.

She glared at him. "You kissed her."

Oh, yeah. He had said that right in front of her when he was on the phone with Max, hadn't he?

"So? It was just a fucking kiss. Don't get your panties in a twist over it. It didn't mean anything," he said sharply.

"You're lying. You like her, and for some fucking reason that I can't figure out, she likes you. Maybe you won't admit it, but I can tell that you do." 

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, dumbass, but I don't like Caulfield. Nor does she like me." _Liar_. He leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed hisbyes at her. "But you do, don't you? You love her." 

He could see it in her eyes, saw the way she looked at Max in the diner. If it hadn't been obvious then, it was now.

Chloe was in love with Max.

Well, shit, this just got interesting. 

"Yes," Chloe snapped, voice trembling, "and don't pretend that you don't." 

"What the fu--I don't love her!" Nathan shot back.

"Maybe you're not in love with her, but you definitely feel something for her." 

"Believe whatever the fuck you want." _Jesus_. 

 _"_ Look," he huffed, "let's say that I did have feelings for Max. Would that stop you from killing me?" She didn't answer. "Maybe, maybe not," he continued. "But it doesn't matter. I'm not good for her, anyway. I'm too fucked up in the head. Maybe I like to say that I could better than her, but it's the other way around." 

Chloe looked surprised at his words, and a bit doubtful. He couldn't blame her. The last sentence surprised even himself, but hey, he was gonna die anyway, right? Why not try being a little honest for once in his life. 

"I love her, asshole, more than anyone ever will," Chloe said through gritted teeth. "I've known her my whole life. You've known her for a week."

"Hey, I'm not disagreeing with you," Nathan commented with a soft laugh. "I'm sure she'd be much better off with you. Not that I want to be with her, anyway." He scoffed. "But let me ask you this--can you love her like you loved Rachel?" 

Chloe sucked in a breath, eyes slightly widening. She hadn't been expecting the question, and the mention of her dead best friend's name sent a wave of pain through her.

"I don't know, Nathan," she hissed back, "would you have been able to love Max like you love Victoria?"

"I'm not in love with Victoria," Nathan answered automatically. "She's my family and a girl I have sex with now and then. But that's all she is." He was getting annoyed. "Look, are you going to kill me or not? If you are, just do it. If you're not, let me go. I would like to go find Max so me and her can take down Jefferson once and for all."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "And then what happens after that? You get off scott-free while Rachel's buried in the ground? While Kate Marsh sits in the hospital? And God only knows how many others there are!"

Nathan jumped up, ignoring the gun she put up to his head in warning. "You know absolutely nothing about me!" He snarled. "I pay for this shit every fucking day!"

"Back off," Chloe warned.

"Stop acting like you know about what I deal with!"

"Back the fuck off!"

"Chloe, no!"

Both Chloe and Nathan jumped and looked towards the door where Max was standing, face full of fear.

"Stay out of this, Max," Chloe warned.  
  
Max hesitantly took a step forward, ignoring the look on Chloe's face. "Chloe, please, put the gun down-"

"No!" Chloe hissed. "He doesn't get to get away with this shit. And fuck you for defending him!"

"I know you're upset, Chloe. I get it. But please, just...don't do this."

Without taking her eyes off Chloe, Max inched towards Nathan carefully until she was standing next to him. He nudged her shoulder. 

"I told you not to come here. Do you ever listen?" He said, a bit of annoyance in his tone.

"You should know by now that I don't," she shot back.

He let out a scoff and the corner of his lips slightly turned up, trying to hide back a smile. But his face dropped as soon as he looked towards Chloe.

The blue-haired girl's eyes were sad and full of pain. The gun was also lowered and hanging limply by her side. It broke Max's heart to see her best friend this way, and she wanted nothing more than to reach out and take Chloe in her arms. But Chloe would never allow that. Not now. Not after she found out about Max teaming up with Nathan.

"So, this is it?" Chloe's voice cracked. "You're on his side now?"

"There are no sides to this, Chloe," Max replied softly.

"Bullshit there's not."

"You have every right to hate Nathan." Max saw Nathan roll his eyes, clearly annoyed with the obvious being stated. "He's done...horrible things. But he's sorry for everything, Chloe. And Jefferson did this to him. Jefferson is behind all of this. And we all need to team up if we want to take him down."

Chloe shook her head. "You can't ask me to trust this asshole."

"I'm asking you to please try and put aside your differences until after Jefferson is dead--or in jail."

"Dead," Nathan said fiercely. "That bastard doesn't get to live."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "At least we can agree on that." She said it in a way that made it clear she wasn't happy that they agreed on anything.

"So...we're good here?" Max asked hesitantly, looking between them.

"No, we're not good here, Max." Anger ran across Chloe's face once again. "I'm not sure that we ever will be. You lied to me like I was nothing-"

"Oh, give her a break, alright?" Nathan cut Chloe off, frowning. "She only lied to you because I threatened her. You think she wanted to keep this shit from you? You're fucking _everything_ to her."

Chloe gave Nathan a menacing glare. "You _threatened_ her?"

"No, it wasn't like that-" Max tried to stop the conversation from escalating anymore, but Chloe wasn't about to let it slide.

"Shut up, Max," she snapped.

"You're the one who needs to shut the fuck up, bitch!" Nathan snapped. 

"Stay the fuck out of this-!"

Nathan growled. "Listen to me, you stupid bitch, alright? Max has done nothing but try to protect you from all this shit. And yeah, I made her _swear_ that she wouldn't tell anybody, but she also knew what it would do to you if you found out about Rachel. She wasn't trying to hurt you, dumbass. She's been nothing but good to you. And I'm not gonna stand here and watch you treat her like shit."

 _Did I really just say that_? 

Both Chloe and Max gaped at him.

 _Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you two_. 

"Like you have any room to talk!" Chloe shot back.

"Yeah, I've been an asshole to Max. I'm an asshole to everyone. Sometimes I can't even help it. But I haven't known her my entire life. She and I didn't grow up together as best fucking friends. You and her have. You know her better than anyone, and you should know how much she cares about you. So get the fuck over it and stop being a bitch to her."

 _He's defending me_ , Max thought in awe. It was...weird seeing Nathan acting so defensive of her. She'd like to think that they were on good terms after the phone call, but this was still Nathan. 

"I wasn't trying to...I didn't..." Chloe seemed to be at a loss for words, and she was trying to keep her voice steady.

Nathan seemed to understand what she was trying to say, and his expression softened a bit.

"It's okay to mad at the world," he said, voice a bit more calm, "but don't take it out on the people you care about. I've done that my whole life and I regret it every day." _When the fuck did I become the man of wisdom?_

Max could see how his words were effecting Chloe. The girls eyes were wet with unshed tears, bottom lip trembling. Chloe might never admit it, but she knew that Nathan was right. But Chloe was also stubborn, and though she felt shame for how she treated Max, she also wanted to hang onto her anger.

It was up to Max to make the first move.

She took a careful step forward. "Chloe..."

"Don't." Chloe closed her eyes. "Max, just...don't."

But Max would be damned if she let her go now.

With a racing heart, Max stepped towards Chloe slowly and cautiously until she was right in front of the girl. Chloe refused to meet her eyes and instead chose to look down at the ground.

"I'm sorry," she heard Chloe whisper.

And just like that, Max pulled her into her arms.

"What are you sorry for?" The brunette sniffed, voice choking up. " _I'm_ the one who lied to you."

"I know, but I shouldn't have gotten so angry." Chloe squeezed her tightly. "You're my best friend and I'm so lucky to have you in my life. Can you forgive me?"

Max gave a laugh that sounded more like a sob and said, "only if you can forgive me."

"I can, just-just don't ever lie to me again, okay? Even if you think you're doing what's best for me."

And Max could so that. "Trust me, I've learned my lesson."

They stayed like that until finally Nathan cleared his throat.

"I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment," he said sarcastically, "but we don't have much time to waste. The vortex party starts in an hour and we have to warn Victoria before Jefferson can get to her."

The two girls stepped away from one another, giving each other a small smile.

"You're right," Max said seriously, "we can't let anything happen to Victoria-"

"Even though she's a total bitch?" Chloe remarked, smirking at Nathan when he glared at her.

Max shot her a warning look. "Victoria's a bitch, but she doesn't deserve whatever Jefferson plans on doing with her."

"All three of us can't be there together," Nathan said. "He'll know that something's up. I think I should go alone, and you two can-"

"No," Max shook her head. "No way. You're not going there alone."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Max, he's not going to do anything at the fucking party."

"What if he tries to get you alone and then does something? No. It's too dangerous for any of us to be alone right now." She glanced at Chloe and then back at Nathan. "Look, the winner for the contest is being announced tonight. I should be there, anyway. I can go alone while you and Chloe try and figure something out."

"Not happening,"  Chloe said at the same time that Nathan growled, "fuck no!" Then they glared at one another.

"Okay, here's what's gonna happen." Nathan pointed at Max. "You're coming with me to the party. Chloe's gonna stay here in case Jefferson shows up-"

"And do what?" Chloe snapped.

"Kill him," Nathan said, as if it were really obvious. "Me and Max are gonna get Victoria out of there."

Max nodded. "Okay, but then what?"

"Uh..." Nathan rubbed the back of his head. "I haven't really gotten that far yet." He dropped his arm and a slightly angry look passed over his face. "This plan is gonna end in this fucker's death one way or another, whether it be Chloe who kills him or me. And I hope to fuck that it's me who gets to do the honors."

Max nodded and crossed her arms. "Are you sure you can do this?" She asked him. 

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be able to?"

"It's just...I know there was a time when you loved him like a dad, and I can't imagine it would be easy to...kill him."

Nathan shook his head. "Max, any love I had for the guy was gone the minute he killed Rachel. He's nothing to me. The sooner I get him out of my life, the better."

"So what are you waiting for, Prescott?" Chloe suddenly said, crossing her arms over her chest, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Go get the fucker."

Nathan met her eyes and they both nodded at one another. In that moment, any hatred they had for another was pushed aside. Killing Jefferson for what he did to Rachel was the biggest thing they had in common. 

"If you hear the door open, hide," Nathan told Chloe. "If it's him...blow his brains out before he can blow out yours."

"Got it." Chloe looked between Max and Nathan. "Both of you be careful."

"We will," Max assured her.

"You'd better be. I don't want to lose someone else I love," Chloe said shakily. She gave Nathan a serious look. "You'd better look out for her, Prescott. If anything happens to her, I'll-"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I'll keep her safe. That fucker isn't gonna touch her." 

"You still have that gun, right?"

Nathan paused for a minute and then groaned. "It's in my fucking dorm room."

"Better go get it then." Chloe was about to turn away from them, but then stopped. "Load that fucker's body with bullets if you get to him before I do," she said to Nathan, face hard and voice bitter.

Nathan grinned at her. "I'll make sure half of them are from you."

Maybe it was Max's imagination, but she could have sworn that Chloe gave Nathan a small smile. But when she looked again, it was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major shit goes down next chapter, so I hope you guys are ready! I have big plans...And you guys may or may not hate me for it. *Evil laughter*
> 
> I made a tumblr. It's jpbree1997. If anyone wants to send me something, you can reach me there :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter heavily edited 
> 
> This is sort of just a mini-chapter. I wasn't planning on writing this, but since major crap will be going down, I figured I would give you guys a bit of Caulscott since there won't be much in the next couple of chapters or so. 
> 
> "Crazy in Love" by Sofia Karlberg is the theme song for this chapter...because I'm weird. And it kinda fits. 
> 
> Enjoy ;)

  
Nathan and Max were quiet on the way to his dorm room.

It was an uncomfortable silence for both of them. There were so many things they both wanted to say, but they couldn't get the words out. So they both opted to not say anything at all. Max stared out the window of Nathan's car, feeling relieved when he finally turned the radio on. Not that music made it any less uncomfortable, but it was easier to focus on the lyrics rather than the silence between them.

"You ready for this, Caulfield?" Nathan asked her as he pulled into the parking lot.

Max shook her head. "Not even a little."

"Oh, well. Too bad." Nathan shut the car off and opened the door. "Let's go."

Max sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt before opening the door and followed him to the boys dorm.

"What do we do after Jefferson is dead? If we even manage to kill him, that is," Max asked, trying to match his fast pace.

"No idea, Max. Maybe I'll skip town, maybe I'll bury his body somewhere where no one will ever find it. Let's just take this one step at a time, okay?" He opened the door to the boys dorm and nudged his head to side, gesturing for her to go in.

"You would really skip town?" Max asked as she lead the way to his room.

Nathan gave a half-shrug. "I might have to." He saw the worried look on her face and flashed her a cocky smirk. "Why? Would you miss me?" 

"No," she snorted. They both knew it was a lie.

"Not very good at lying, are you?" He chuckled.

"Well, would you miss me?" She shot back.

He thought for a moment, then muttered, "yeah. Yeah, I'd miss you." 

Her heart sped up.

"Don't take that for more than it is," Nathan warned her. "I just meant that--I mean--fuck!" He was getting flustered. "I didn't mean it in _that_  way, okay?" 

Max couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment. "Okay, Nathan. If you say so." 

And then suddenly her back was against Nathan's door, and his body was practically right up against hers. Both of his hands were placed on either side of Max's head, and it reminded her of those nights where he had pushed her up against the doors, teasing her.

God, it felt so long ago. It was hard to believe it had only been a little over a week.

"Why did you say it like that?" Nathan asked in a low voice, his face close to her. "Do you think I'm lying?" 

"I..." Max was at a loss for words. It was hard to think clearly when he was so close to her. 

"Hm?" Nathan tilted his head. "Your punk-ass friend seems convinced that you and I have feelings for one another." 

"Well, is she wrong?" Max blurted out before her face turned red. 

Nathan looked away. "I hope she is."

Max drew her eyebrows together. "Why?"

He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Max, I know you have this idea in your head that I'm really a good guy and you can change me and all that other bullshit. But you're wrong. I can never be what you seem to want me to be. I don't know if I ever will be. I'm so fucked up, Max. You should be with someone better." 

"Isn't that up for me to decide?"

"Not when I know what choice you'll make."

"I never even said I liked you," Max said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

Nathan scoffed. "You didn't have to, sweetheart. It's written all over your fucking face. And your previous comments were a dead giveaway." 

"I..." She struggled to find the right words, especially now that she was caught. "Okay, yeah, maybe I do have feelings for you."

He nodded, clearly not happy with her answer but he already knew it was coming.

"And what about you?" She asked hesitantly. "Is this one-sided? You keep denying it, but..."

He leaned away from her and made a frustrated sound. "I don't fucking know, all right? I'm torn here. I don't want to like you, Caulfield, but...Shit, I think I might a little bit." He ran a hand through his hair, uncomfortable at the confession. "So I guess that's that then. Christ." He glanced at her and saw that she was smiling. "Why are you smiling like a fucking idiot?"

"You like me," she teased. 

He flushed. "Don't let it get to your head, Caulfield. No one said we're gonna ride off into the sunset and become boyfriend and girlfriend and do all the cheesy shit couples do."

"I know. But it's enough for now."

He gave her a look of disbelief for a second, and then chuckled. "You really are something else, Caulfield," 

Max snorted. "And so are you."

"Mm." Nathan chuckled again and then sighed. "You know we could die tonight, right?"

 _Not if my rewind works_ , Max thought. Of course, that's only if she wasn't killed first.

"I know," she said softly, looking down at the ground.

Nathan put a finger under her chin and lifted her head up so her eyes were meeting his own.

"Seriously, Max," he said, a bit of a snap in his tone. "If Jefferson gets to me first, you run like hell. Okay? Run the fuck away."

"Don't talk like that."

"Hey, I don't want that fucker to kill me. But I would rather it be me than you." 

"You would really die for me?" She asked, a little surprised. 

Nathan nodded. "If it came down to that. You have more to live for than I do. And how the fuck would I be able to live with knowing you died because of me?" 

And then her lips were on his.

Nathan didn't kiss back for a second, the kiss startling him. But then he closed his eyes and moved his lips against hers, gently and a bit unsure. 

But Max didn't want gentle right now.

She grabbed his jacket with both her hands and pulled him as close to her as possible, doing her best to deepen the kiss. She was still a bit unsure with herself and inexperienced, so it was clumsy at first. Her teeth clanked against his and she winced in embarrassment.

"Awesome, Caulfield," he said with a roll of his eyes, though she could tell he was just teasing her. "You really know how to turn a guy on with your skills." 

"Oh, shut up," she laughed, pulling him back down to her. 

Nathan guided her until she finally got the hang of it, moving her mouth against his in a way that surprised the both of them. She lost herself in the kiss. It was like nothing else existed in that moment but him and his lips on hers.

 _I may not get the chance to do this again_ , she thought hazily.

And she never thought she would want to.

"Max," he breathed between their lips. "I-I-" He seemed to want to say something, but he couldn't get the words out. And Max wasn't sure if she wanted to hear them or not. She just wanted to enjoy this moment with him while she had the chance. She was thankful when Nathan gave up trying to say anything.

Her fingers somehow found their way to the back of his head and accidentally tugged a little too hard on his hair. Nathan let out a small grunt but didn't make any move to shake her off. He liked the small bit of pain.

"We should-we should really get going," she gasped out.

He groaned. "Now?" 

"Now. We have to save Victoria and stop Jefferson, remember?"

At the mention of Victoria's name, Nathan sighed and took a few steps back away from her. "I know. Fuck, we got way too distracted, huh?"

Max nodded, trying to will her heart to slow down. "The party just started, though. I don't think we need to hate ourselves just yet."

"Vic's probably still getting ready," he snorted. "The girls hair is short as fuck. There's not much she can do with it."

Max opened her mouth to answer, but the sound of a door opening stopped her.

They both froze.

"Isn't everyone at the party?" She whispered to him.

Nathan held up a finger, signaling for her to be quiet.

The sound of footsteps was getting closer, making both Max and Nathan tense up.

 _Oh, God_ , Max thought with dread, _what if it's Warren? If he catches me with Nathan like this-_

"What are you two doing?" An all-too familiar voice asked, surprised and disapproving.

Max's heart stopped.

Nathan's expression turned ice cold.

And Mark Jefferson stood there with his arms crossed, an amused and annoyed expression on his face.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now would be a good time for Max to use her rewind powers. 
> 
> Next chapter: Truths will come out, fights will be had, and someone will die ;) 
> 
> Sorry, I shouldn't be using a wink face right now. This is serious business, I know.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter edited, the biggest change being at the end. 
> 
>  
> 
> Well, it's snowing like crazy where I live, there's like two customers in the entire store and I'm getting out of work early. Life is good ;)
> 
> Enjoy this chapter, and please don't hate me for the end *Hides.*

* * *

  
"What are you two doing?"

 _This can't be happening_ , Max thought. _Not now._

"Do you mind?" He asked Jefferson flatly. "We're kind of busy here."

"You two are in the middle of the boys dormitory. If you want privacy, go in your room." He stared at the two of them with suspicion in his eyes. "Shouldn't you both be at the party? I'm announcing the winner tonight, and I was hoping you'd be there. Especially you, Max."

"Shouldn't _you_ be at the party?" Nathan countered.

Jefferson gave him a perfectly composed smile. "I was looking for you."

Nathan's face was composed, but he tensed up beside Max.

"For what?" He demanded.

"Never mind. We can talk later." He glanced at Max and then his eyes snapped back to Nathan. The corner of his lips lifted a bit. "Mind if I walk you two to the party?"

Nathan snorted and crossed his arms. "What are we, five? We can walk ourselves."

"I'm going the same way, anyway."

 _Rewind_ , Max, she thought desperately. _You can totally rewind and avoid this. But if you do, the moment you had with Nathan will be gone. And you'd just end up bumping into Jefferson, anyway. Besides...would he really try something in public? There's bound to be people around. No. I'll let this play out for now. If he tries to do something, I'll rewind._

"Just let me get some party favors from my room," Nathan said casually with a smirk. Max knew what he was really getting, and she bit her lip, hoping to God that Jefferson wouldn't find the gun.

The teacher waved them off. "Fine. I'll look the other way tonight, since everyone's going to be doing something."

The double meaning behind his words did not go unnoticed.

Nathan rolled his eyes, trying to keep cool, and grabbed Max's arm. "Come on." She allowed him to pull her into his room, then he shut the door and locked it.

"What are we gonna do?" She asked quietly, not wanting to speak too loudly in case Jefferson was listening.

"We're gonna stick to the plan," Nathan answered. He got on his knees and reached for something under the bed before pulling out a small box. He opened it and pulled out his gun.

"So we're just gonna walk with him to the party?"

Nathan stuffed the gun in the inside of his jacket. "If you have a better idea, feel free to share, because all I've got right now is us acting normal and doing what he says. We can split from him when we get to the party."

As much as she hated it, she knew Nathan was right. They had to act like nothing was wrong. She had to act like she didn't know anything about what Jefferson's been up to. There was no way he would let her live if he knew that she knew. And then he would kill Nathan for telling her.

"We have to be careful," Max said very seriously. "If he finds out you have a gun-"

"I know that, Max" he said with a hint of annoyance. "I'll make sure he doesn't find out about the gun. Relax."

 _That's easier said than done_ , she thought.

 

* * *

 

  
Chloe thought she knew grief.

Losing her father had broken something inside of her--the good and innocent part of her. The pain she had felt after finding out he had died was more intense than she could have ever imagined.

But losing Rachel went beyond that.

It's not that she didn't love her dad any less than Rachel. But she had been in love with Rachel, had done everything with her. There hadn't been a day where they hadn't seen each other. They were always together.

And she thought Rachel had loved her, too.

Maybe she had been in love with Chloe. Maybe she had been afraid of telling Chloe, or maybe she just couldn't choose between her and Frank. The girl had definitely been in love with Frank, also. And if Chloe was right about one thing-and she hoped to God she wasn't-Rachel had a thing for Jefferson as well. Who else could she have meant when she told her that she met someone who had changed her life? They had already known Frank for a year, and Rachel sure as hell wasn't talking about Prescott.

Chloe leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat.

 _How could she do this to me?_ She thought. _Why_ _wasn't I good enough for her?_

Hearing that Rachel was dead had torn Chloe to pieces. She felt like she couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight. Her heart hurt in a way she didn't even realize it could.

_I'll never hear her laugh again. I'll never see her smile. I'll never be able to hang out with her or talk to her when I need her. I couldn't even save her. I didn't get to say goodbye._

_I didn't get to tell her I love her._

Hot tears began to slide down Chloe's cheeks. Slowly at first, and then she began to shake, letting out loud sobs.

"Oh, God, Rachel," she cried, squeezing her eyes shut. She clutched her chest as if her heart was going to break into a million pieces--which it very much might. With loud, opened-mouthed wracking sobs, she sunk down to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Please come back to me," she whispered shakily. "I can't do this without you."

A small part of her expected an answer, hoping Rachel wasn't really dead and Nathan was playing a sick joke on her. But she was only met with silence.

 

* * *

 

The walk was awkward.

Jefferson deliberately walked behind Nathan and Max, which didn't set well with them. But Nathan made sure to keep his eyes straight ahead, while Max risked a peek at Jefferson once or twice, until Nathan nudged her.

"Stop looking," he hissed at her under his breath.

"Sorry." She faced forward and didn't look back until they reached the party.

It was a little too noisy for Max's taste. The music was almost deafening, people were drunk and high and just all over the place in general, and the air reeked of marijuana and cigarettes.

Nathan caught the look on Max's face and laughed. "Welcome to your first vortex party, Maxine."

She grimaced.

"I believe this is when we go our separate ways," Jefferson said from behind them.

Nathan looked over his shoulder and gave the man a short nod. "Yeah, alright."

Jefferson took a step forward towards Max, and Nathan had to stop himself from standing in front of her.

 _He's not gonna do anything to her in the middle of a fucking party where there's hundred of people around_ , he told himself calmly. _Calm the fuck down, Nathan. Relax._

"Max, I hope you'll be around to watch me announce the winner. It's a shame you didn't enter a photo, but you can't force an artist to work," Jefferson said, feigning disappointment.

Max forced herself to look him in the eyes when she spoke. "Uh, thanks, Mr. Jefferson. I'll...definitely be here to see who wins."

"Excellent." He gave them both a brief smile and patted Nathan on the shoulder before walking away.

"Finally, that fucker's gone," Nathan sighed in relief. "For a second I thought shit was about to go down."

Max made a noise of agreement.

"Okay, first things first-" she began to say.

"You wanna dance?"

Max blinked. "Um, what?"

Nathan held up his cell phone-which she hadn't even noticed he had taken out-and waved it at her. "Vic says she won't be here for another twenty minutes. We've got nothing else to do right now. Wanna dance?"

"Uh..." Max shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really know how to dance..."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I'll guide you, Caulfield. Come on." He grabbed her arm and dragged her with him as he began to walk to the back of the room.

"Where are we going?" She asked, confused.

He winked at her over his shoulder. "The VIP room?"

She rolled her eyes. "You guys have a VIP room?"

"'Course we do," he shrugged. "Why wouldn't we?"

Max didn't even bother to respond.

There was a girl standing by the entrance to the room, as if she were some kind of bodyguard.

"You're not getting in unless you're on the list," she snapped at the poor girl who was trying to get access to the room. She looked her up and down with a look of distaste. "And you're _definitely_ not on the list."

The other girl grumbled something under her breath and walked away with her head lowered.

"Having fun, Sarah?" Nathan smirked.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I'm having _so_ much fun standing here and checking over a stupid fucking list of who's allowed in there and who's not. There's nothing better I would rather do with my time." Her eyes flickered to Max and she raised an eyebrow. "Uh-?"

"She's with me," Nathan answered. He gave Sarah a look as if daring her to say something about it.

Sarah crossed her arms and gave Nathan a look of disbelief. "Seriously, Nathan? Her? You couldn't have chosen someone better?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Just fucking let us in, Sarah, alright?"

Max thought the girl was actually going to continue to argue, but she just glared at Max and jerked her thumb at the curtain. "Go."

"Thank you." Nathan raised a finger over his shoulder and gestured for Max to follow him, which she did a bit reluctantly.

If the music was loud out there, it was two times louder in the slightly small room. The smell of marijuana hit her hard, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"God, I hate the smell of weed," she muttered under her breath.

Nathan chuckled. "Don't knock it till you try it, Caulfield."

"I have tried it. I acted like a total idiot."

"Well, that's what-wait, you smoked pot?" Nathan stared at her with wide eyes, then let out a bark of laughter. "You got high! Oh, man, that's too good!"

"Shut up," she glared at him. "I was out of my mind."

He nodded with a lazy grin."I was, too, when I smoked weed for the first time."

"Who were you with?" She asked, curious.

"Hayden." The song changed then, and Max vaguely recognized it. Rihanna, she thinks.

"So," Nathan smirked, "wanna dance?"

 _"Feels so good being bad._  
There's no way I'm turning back.  
Now the pain is for pleasure  
'Cause nothing can measure."

Max blushed at the lyrics and swallowed. "O-okay."

"Come on." He tugged on her arm and pulled her to the middle of the dance floor where everyone else was. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Hayden, who looked way too stoned, raise an amuse eyebrow at Nathan, who in return just grinned.

 _"Love is great, love is fine._  
Out the box, out of line.  
The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more."

"Nathan, I-" she began to protest as he pulled her so her back was pressed against his chest. Her butt was fit against his crotch, and she thought she would die of embarrassment right then and there.

 _"'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it_  
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it.  
Sticks and stones may break my bones,  
But chains and whips excite me."

"Never danced with a man before?" Even though she wasn't facing him she could still tell he was smirking. "Just relax, Max. Everyone's doing the same thing. Follow my lead."

"...Right. Okay." She gave a confident nod, though she felt anything but confident, and took a deep breath.

Nathan grabbed her waist. "Move your hips against mine." With his hands now on her hips, he moved his own hips against hers until she finally got the hang of it. It was awkward at first, but Max closed her eyes and did her best to imagine them as the only ones in the room. It was the only way she wouldn't drop dead from embarrassment. 

 _"Love is great, love is fine_  
Out the box, out of line  
The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more..."

"There ya go," he encouraged, laughing and sounding oddly proud.

"Hey, pornstars," Hayden called from his seat, "save it for the bedroom!"

Nathan flipped him off.

"Nathan?!"

Max's eyes flew open at the sound of Victoria's voice. _Oh shit._

Nathan pulled away from her quickly and spun around to face his best friend.

"Victoria, I-" he began to say.

She cut him off. "Don't!" She spun around on her heels and stormed off, tears in her eyes.

Nathan stood there, frozen. He knew this was bad. He had just hurt one of the very few people he never wanted to hurt. Ever. And though they weren't dating, Victoria would never forgive him for what she just saw him doing with Max.

"Go after her," Max said softly from behind him.

Nathan looked at her over his shoulder. "What?"

"Go after her," she repeated before taking a deep breath. "It's okay. I'll wait right here for you."

Nathan hesitated. "Max-"

"We came here to warn her about Jefferson, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Just go."

"I'll be right back," he promised. "If anything happens, text me. Okay?"

She nodded and gave him a brief, reassuring smile.

 

 

  
"Victoria!"

The blonde ignored him and continued to storm away.

"Victoria, wait up!" Nathan ran up to her and grabbed her arm, stopping her just as she was about to head inside the dorm room. "Hey!"

She shook his hand off and spun around to face him, an angry look on her face.

"What?" She snapped.

Nathan was a bit taken aback by her tone, but he probably shouldn't have been.

"Come on, don't be like that, babe-" He reached out to take her hand, but she smacked his hand away.

She scoffed. "Don't call me that. Don't you ever call me that again!"

He sighed. "Look, Vic, you know I care about you-"

"Do you?" She demanded. "Because if you gave the slightest shit about me, you wouldn't have lied to me about that stupid fucking hippie-"

"I didn't lie to you, alright? She and I weren't anything then."

"But you are now?" The tremble in her voice killed him.

"Not exactly," he admitted, looking past her because he couldn't meet her eyes. "It's not official by any means, and it probably won't ever be." 

"What's stopping you?"

He lowered his eyes to the ground. "My issues, mostly."

"Right." She let out a short, humorless laugh. "Nathan, you would have stayed far away from her if you were really worried about it."

"I tried," he muttered. "Shit got too complicated. And not just between me and her."

"How did you even fall for her?" She asked the question as if she were afraid of the answer. "You _hated_ her."

For a split second, Nathan was tempted to tell Victoria the truth. He wanted to spill everything to her, even though he knew he couldn't. Not the whole truth, at least.

"She...helped me out with some problems," he said instead.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Problems you refuse to tell me, your best friend."

Nathan turned lifted his eyes to meet hers. "It's complicated, Vic."

"The fuck it is!" Her voice was harsh. "I could have tried to help you if you had just let me, Nathan! But instead you chose to let Max Caulfield help you?!"

He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out.

"Why her?" She asked, voice filled with tears. "Why did you choose her over me? Is it because I'm not good enough for you?"

"No, Vic," he said, voice cracking. He reached out again to touch her, and this time she let him. His hand cupped her face and his other hand laced their fingers together. "You're more than good enough."

"Is it..." A tear ran down her cheek and she closed her eyes when Nathan brushed it away with his thumb. "Is it because you love her more than me?"

He shook his head slowly. "That's not it, either. It's not like I'm in love with the girl, Vic." 

"Do you love me?"

"Yes." He didn't even have to think about it. "I love you, Victoria. I do. But I'm not _in love_ with you." She let out a small sound as if she were in pain and tried to turn away from him, but his fingers gripped her tighter, refusing to her let her go.

"I know you don't want to hear it," he said, voice soft but so desperate to make her understand. "Fuck, Vic, I wish I had a different answer for you. I wish I could love you in that way. But I just...don't. And it's not because you're not good enough for me, alright? I don't want to hear that shit again. _I'm_ the one who's not good enough for _you_. I'm not even good enough for Max, though she seems to think differently. And I don't even know how it happened--how I fell for her. It just...did."

In a strained voice, she said, "can you at least tell me what's going on with you?"

"Not all of it. But damn it, Vic, I want to." Each word was more broken than the last.

"So do it."

"I can't." He shook his head and leaned his forehead against hers. "It's bad. Really fucking bad. And I won't risk your life like that. Fuck, I don't even wanna risk Max's, but she's too fucking stubborn to listen or care."

"Nathan-"

"I can't tell you everything." He took a deep breath. "But you need to know this--and I need you to just listen to me and not question it right now, okay?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Jefferson isn't who you think he is," he said, leaning away from her. "He's a monster, Victoria. He's done horrible fucking things, and he's coming for you next."

Her eyes widened and she dropped his hand, backing away. "What?"

"I know it sounds crazy. But I need you to trust me on this. Please."

The pleading in his voice stopped her from arguing. She didn't want to believe that Jefferson is dangerous, and a part of her didn't. But she trusted Nathan to tell her the truth. Why would he lie about something like this? He would never do that to her.

"I don't know what the hell is going on or what you're talking about," she said. "But I'll take your word for it."

He breathed out in relief and a ran a hand through his hair. "Thank fuck."

"So...what do you want me to do?"

"Go to your parents house and stay there until I say it's safe to come back to school."

"But the party-"

"Fuck the party," he hissed, grabbing her shoulders. "The party isn't important right now. Keeping you alive is."

She gently pushed him away. "And what about you?"

He sighed and looked away. "Max and I are handling this. This will be taken care of soon."

"Nathan, what are you gonna do?" She asked, worry in her voice. "You're not gonna, like, kill him, are you?"

He was silent.

She gasped. "Nathan, you can't!"

"I'll do whatever I have to," he said in a hard time. "I can't stand here and argue about this, Vic. Just do what I say. Please."

Victoria didn't answer for a moment. Then she stepped forward and kissed him.

Nathan leaned into the kiss, knowing that this could be the very last time he got to see her. It was a kiss goodbye between the both of them, not anything more. 

"Go," he urged her after he broke the kiss, his forehead once again against hers.

"You'll call me as soon as it's safe?" She whispered.

"I promise." _If I'm still alive._

"Okay." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Please be safe...and don't do anything too stupid."

He gave her a half-smirk. "No promises."

Footsteps came up from behind them. Victoria looked past Nathan and a look of fear crossed her face. Nathan turned around, knowing exactly who was standing there, and cursed under his breath.

"That was beautiful," Jefferson said sarcastically. He walked towards them, a blank look on his face. Nathan knew that look. It meant Jefferson was beyond pissed and was doing everything he could not to show it.

Nathan stood in front of Victoria protectively, the gun in his jacket suddenly feeling very heavy.

 _As soon as I get the chance I'll pull it on him_ , he thought.

"Leave us alone," he warned, giving Jefferson a murderous glare.

The older man tilted his head to the side. "And why would I do that?"

 _Because I'll blow your fucking head off if you don't_. "Just back off, alright? Nothing needs to happen here."

"Nothing needs to-? Are you fucking with me right now?" Jefferson threw his head back and let out a sharp laugh. "Do you honestly think I didn't hear the little conversation you and her had." He nodded at Victoria, who looked away, face full of worry.

"Then take me and let her go," Nathan snapped. "She has nothing to fucking do with this." He knew his words wouldn't change a damn thing. Victoria knew Jefferson was dangerous. The teacher wouldn't let her get away unharmed.

"Nathan," Jefferson sighed, "sometimes you really disappoint me."

Before Nathan could do anything, Jefferson pulled out a syringe and jammed it into Nathan's neck before shoving him hard to the side. With a strangled gasp, Nathan fell to the ground.

"No! Nathan!" Victoria screamed. She moved as if to run to him, but Jefferson grabbed her and pulled her against his chest.

"I'm sorry about this, Victoria," he said in a low voice. "But you always were a little bitch."

And then he pulled out another syringe and did the same thing to Victoria. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest--I've been waiting to use that scene with Nathan and Victoria FOREVER. It was a lot of fun to write hehe.
> 
> The ending was a last minute decision. I was going to kill Chloe, but that would have been too predictable, and I realized that I have an even bigger part for Chloe to play in the next chapter. I think you guys will like it :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter coming soon!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter edited 
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry for the wait, guys! I wanted to have this out by Sunday but studying and work got in the way. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, and a little Chloe and Nathan bonding :)
> 
> On one last note, I used lyrics in this chapter, but for some reason only the first sentence is italicized. It absolutely refuses to italicize anything else, so sorry about that!

 

"Yo, Mad Max!" Warren called from behind Max.

Max cursed under her breath and turned around to greet her friend. She had just been about to go after Nathan and Victoria since she learned that Jefferson had left the party. She could only guess who he was going after.

"Hi, Warren," she greeted as cheerfully as she could manage.

He stumbled up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Sup, girl? Enjoying the party?"

The smell of beer on his breath made her wince. "Are you drunk?"

"Just a little," he admitted with a laugh. He held out the beer to her. "Want some?"

She shook her head and gently pushed his hand away. "No, thanks. Actually, I have to go-"

"Where have you been, Max?" He questioned, cutting her off.

"Nowhere," she said, feeling uncomfortable.

"Haven't heard from you in a while."

And shit, did that make her feel like an asshole. She's been so caught up with Nathan and Chloe that she hasn't made any time to talk to Warren. God, she was a shitty friend.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "A lot of things have been going on. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"It's all good," he slurred. "You got your camera on you? Let's take a picture together."

Max was about to protest, but the guilt stopped her. A quick picture wouldn't hurt, right?

"Okay," she said, digging around in her bag for her camera. Then she leaned into Warren. "Say cheese."

They both smiled at the camera, Warren making a silly peace sign. Max took the picture, and handed it to Warren when it printed out.

"You keep it," she told him.

He nodded with a smile and put it inside his pocket. "Cool."

"I have to go, but...we'll talk later?"

"Sure." Warren started to back away, giving her a small wave before turning around and walked away.

Max breathed a sigh of relief and put her camera away.

_Okay, Max, enough messing around. You have to find Nathan and Victoria and make sure they're okay...or still alive._

The thought of Jefferson killing Nathan and Victoria made Max's stomach drop and she began to run to the dorm rooms, hoping they would be there.

 

* * *

 

  
The sound of footsteps coming towards the door made Chloe's heart stop.

 _Shit_ , she thought, _shit shit shit._ She snatched the gun off the table and scrambled to her feet. The only "safe" place to hide seemed to be underneath Jefferson's desk, so she ran over and ducked under it right before the door opened.

"Here we go," she heard a man's voice say, guessing it was Jefferson. A moment later she heard a loud thump on the floor and a groan.

"Waking up already?" Jefferson sighed. "I guess I didn't give you enough. But that's fine. We can have a chat."

 _What the fuck is happening?_ Chloe thought, heart pounding. Then she heard Nathan's voice.

"Get the fuck away from me," he gasped, as if the words were hard to get out.

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your father?"

"You're not my father!"

Jefferson chuckled. "No, I'm not. But that didn't stop you from looking up to me like one."

Nathan let out a sob. "What the fuck did you do to Victoria?!"

"You and I already know the answer to that. I gave her an overdose." 

Nathan screamed. "You fucking bastard!" 

Chloe's blood ran cold.

"That's on you," Jefferson said calmly. "You shouldn't have told her the truth."

"I was trying to protect her from _you_!"

"And then you were gonna kill me. That's disappointing. I had a lot of faith in you, Nathan. Why did you have to go and let me down? Now I have to kill you. What a waste."

Nathan growled. "Then fucking do it, asshole!"

"Oh, I will. But first I think I should get some pictures--for old times sake. And I could always use something to remember you by." Jefferson chuckled again. "You mind if I tie your hands and feet together? Can't have you trying to escape on me."

Nathan didn't answer.

"Good." Chloe heard a rustle of movement and then Nathan let out a curse.

"Sorry, are they too tight?" Jefferson asked, the concern in his voice sounding completely fake.

"Fuck you," Nathan shot back.

"You know," Jefferson said in a hard voice, "I really can't wait to shut you the fuck up for good. I'm not even gonna bother to have you pose correctly."

Chloe took a deep breath and risked poking her head out to see what was going on. Jefferson was standing over Nathan, who had his hands and feet tied up and was glaring up at the man. Even from slightly far away Chloe could see the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Perfect," Jefferson murmured as he snapped a picture of Nathan. It made Chloe's stomach flip.

"You won't get away with this," Nathan ground out. "I promise you that you won't."

"And who's gonna stop me? Max? She'll get taken care of."

Nathan growled. "Don't you fucking touch her!"

And that was the last straw.

Chloe jumped up from underneath the desk and pointed the gun at Jefferson. "Step the fuck back!"

Jefferson spun around, his eyes widening. "Where the hell did you come from?"

Chloe smirked. "Never mind where the fuck I came from. Step away from him."

He didn't move.

She cocked the gun. "Now."

"Chloe, be careful," Nathan warned her, voice feeling scratchy, "he has a gun." 

"He won't be able to pull it out fast enough," she replied, almost of cockily.

Jefferson took a step forward. "You're going to kill me because of _him_?" He glanced at Nathan over his shoulder with a look of disgust. "After he took pictures of you? After he helped me kill Rachel?"

"He didn't help you willingly," she hissed. "I know the story. You killed her and made him bury her fucking body!" Why she was defending Nathan, she didn't know. But Max trusted Nathan completely, and Chloe trusted Max.

"You got the whole story, huh?" Jefferson chuckled lowly. "Well, in that case..." He made a move to step forward, but Chloe shouted, "Don't fucking move!"

"You don't want to do this," Jefferson said, voice mocking and slightly angry. "If you kill me, you'll be fucked for life. You won't get away with this."

There was a hard and angry look on Chloe's face, but his words seemed to have some effect on her, as she lowered the gun a tiny bit.

And that was all it took for Jefferson to strike.

With an angry yell, he dashed forward and tackled Chloe to the ground, the gun flying from her hands and skidding across the floor.

"No! Damn it!" Nathan shouted. He began to struggle against the ropes tied around his hands to try and free them.

Chloe's heart pounded in her chest as Jefferson got on top of her. The smile he gave her reminded her of a Cheshire Cat, and there was a murderous look in his eyes.

"I'll have to admit, you almost got me," he laughed. "But I always win." He pulled back his hand and struck her right across the face.

"Do you wanna know what I did to her?" His expression twisted into a sneer. "First I got her to trust me---just like I did with Nathan over there. I made her feel special, like she was the very best thing in my world, and she fell in love with me because of that." Another slap across the face. "It was all too easy to get her in my bed."

"Fucker," Chloe spat, bottom lip bleeding.

This time he grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head back down, hard. He grinned when she cried out in pain.

"She was very good to me," he continued. "She knew exactly what she doing. Then again, I wouldn't expect anything less from a slut."

Chloe glared up at him but didn't open her mouth.

"You should have seen the look on her face when she found out what a monster I am." The memory made him chuckle. "And when I pointed that gun at her head...god, the look on her face was both beautiful and priceless. There's nothing like watching an Angels head get blown to shit."

"You fucking-!" Chloe began to scream, but his hand covered her mouth, muffling whatever she was about to say.

"Shh, shh," he crooned, his other hand stroking her bruised cheek. "It doesn't matter now. You'll be with her soon." He pulled out his own gun and pointed it at her head.

Chloe closed her eyes in fear and waited for the bullet.

 _Rachel, Max...I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry_.

And then Nathan's foot was kicking the gun out of Jefferson's hand.

"What-?" Jefferson gasped, head snapping up to look at Nathan. "How the hell did you-?"

Nathan slammed his fist across Jefferson's face, knocking him off Chloe. Nathan then held out his hand to Chloe, and after a moment of hesitation she took it, allowing him to help her to her feet.

"You okay?" He asked her, not taking his eyes off Jefferson.

"Well, my face hurts," she said sarcastically, "but I think I'll live." She paused for a moment. "...Thanks."

"Yeah. Anytime." 

"You could've let him kill me," she muttered. "It's not like me and you are the best of friends. So why didn't you?" 

Before Nathan could reply, Jefferson hissed out, "how did you get free?!"

Nathan held up his wrists and smirked. "Next time, try tying them tighter, dumbass."

Jefferson growled and moved to grab his gun, but Chloe was quicker. Her knee came up and hit Jefferson in the side of the head, feeling complete satisfaction when he let out a groan and dropped back on the floor, and grabbed his gun.

"Who's the bitch now?" She said smugly, moving back so she was standing next to Nathan again.

Nathan laughed. "Didn't he say he always wins? Is that what I heard?"

"I heard the same thing." She glanced at Nathan and they both shared a smug smile.

"You little fucking shits," Jefferson snapped, breath coming out in a sudden puff, "you won't get away with this!"

Nathan's foot connected with Jefferson's side. "Did we give you fucking permission to talk?"

"Fuck you!"

"I'd watch what I say if I were you," Chloe suggested in a hard voice. "Don't forget who has the gun and who's laying on the ground like a little bitch." She looked at Nathan, fully trusting him to take care of Jefferson if the stupid idiot tried to attack them. "What do we do with him?"

Nathan shrugged. "Tie him up for now." He glared darkly at the man. "I'm not done with him yet."

"Yeah? Neither am I."

 

* * *

 

Nathan tied Jefferson's hand and feet tightly while Chloe held the gun to the man's head. Jefferson's hands twitched here and there, as if he wanted to do something but knew he couldn't. After that, they dragged him over to where he usually took pictures of his victims.

"Well, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon," Chloe huffed, brushing off her hands.

"Nope." Nathan leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. "I think we can sit down for a moment and breathe." He held out his fist. "Good job, by the way."

Chloe glanced at his fist and then his face, giving him a weird look.

"Oh, come on," he smirked. "We just took down fuckhead over there. I would say we're best fucking friends now."

Chloe snorted. "Maybe in your dreams, Prescott. But..." She gave him a hint of a smile and reached out to bump fists with him.

"Cool." He flashed her a grin.

"You know this doesn't mean we're friends, right? And it doesn't mean I like you or trust you."

"Ouch." He mockingly placed his hand over his chest. "That hurt real deep, Price."

She rolled her eyes. "Get over it." She turned around to go sit on the couch and Nathan followed her. Both of them collapsed on the couch with a sigh and a groan. They sat in silence, watching Jefferson mutter to himself, before Nathan decided to speak up.

"Hey," he said. Chloe looked at him. "I am sorry for everything. I wish there was some way I can make this right."

Chloe averted her eyes and shifted uncomfortably.

"We can call this a start," she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. "And if you don't fuck up anymore and actually continue to act like a semi-decent person..." She didn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to. Nathan knew what she meant. Maybe they would never be close, but she could learn to forgive him--in time. And they could at least try to act civil towards one another.

"Is it true?" She asked quietly. When Nathan gave her a confused look, she asked, "What he said about Victoria--is it true?"

 _Victoria_. Nathan's heart began to beat wildly and painfully. _Victoria's dead._

"He...Yeah. He killed her," he got out in a shaky voice, on the edge of a breakdown. "I warned her about him too late. He heard every fucking word, and he...fuck!" Nathan jumped up and placed his hands on the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Jefferson said mockingly from his place on the floor. "But then again, you only have yourself to blame."

Nathan saw red. "You shut the fuck up-!" He reached for the gun, ready to blow the fucker's face off, but Chloe grabbed his arm just in time.

"Don't," she warned. "Not yet." He had the urge to rip his arm away and kill the bastard anyway, but the look on her face stopped him.

T _his isn't just about my revenge. This belongs to her, too--for Rachel_.

"No, let him," Jefferson growled. "Come on!"

"Shut the fuck up," Chloe hissed. "You'll get it soon enough."

Jefferson smirked.

Nathan perched himself on the arm chair and put his head in his hands, gripping the hair tightly. Chloe watched awkwardly as he began to tremble and sob, reminding her of how she was earlier.

 _I lost Rachel and he lost Victoria_ , she thought sadly. _I hate what he did and I really don't like him. But...he and I aren't as different as I thought._

"Fuck," he sobbed. "Fuck, Victoria. I'm so fucking sorry. I'm so sorry. God, please..."

Chloe hesitantly moved closer to Nathan. Her hand reached out, then she paused. After a moment of internally debating about whether she should leave him alone or not, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

 _I can't believe I'm comforting Nathan fucking Prescott_.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

Nathan lifted his head up slightly. You are, huh? You're not gonna say I deserve this? I didn't have it coming?"

"Maybe if you had asked me a couple of hours ago," she shrugged.

He left out a small huff of laughter. "Right."

"But, seriously," Chloe continued, "I'm sorry. I know what it's like--trust me. I lost my dad and Rachel."

Nathan paused. "You lost your dad, too?"

"What, you don't remember that?" Chloe snorted. "It was on the news and in the papers for weeks. It was the most tragic thing to happen in this fucking town in a while."

"Since my mom died," he muttered.

"You lost your mom?"

"A long time ago," he replied with a small shrug.

Chloe couldn't stop herself from asking, "how did she die?"

"Car accident." Nathan regarded her carefully. "What about yours?"

She averted her eyes and said, "same as yours."

"Well," he sighed, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, "I guess we some things in common after all. We both lost people we loved."

And then his throat tightened and tears began to fall from his eyes.

Chloe couldn't help but feel bad for him. Despite every horrible thing that he's done or caused, she _did_ understand what he was feeling. And that's why she awkwardly wrapped an arm around him. It wasn't exactly a " _I'm sorry and I'm here for you"_ sort of thing. It was more like a _"you're an asshole and I don't like you, but I'm gonna push that aside for a minute because I totally get your pain, dude."_

Nathan stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed. He didn't moved closer or lean into her, but he didn't pull away. Whether he needed the comfort or was just allowing the small, rare moment to happen between them, she didn't know.

"Thanks, Price," he muttered.

"Don't mention it, Prescott. Seriously, don't."

"Are you kidding?" He chuckled, wiping at his eyes, "I'm gonna treasure this moment forever."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Why did I even bother?"

Just as Nathan was about to reply, his phone began to rang.

"Who could that be?" Jefferson piped up. Chloe and Nathan almost forgot he was even there, as he had been quiet for most of their conversation. "Well, it can't be Victoria, because I killed her...so, I'm guessing it's Max."

Nathan scowled at him. "One more fucking word and I'm gonna stick that needle in _you_." He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the collar ID.

**Incoming call from: Max Crackfield**

"It's Max," he quickly told Chloe before answering the phone. "Hey, Max-"

" _Nathan, where the hell are you?"_ Max demanded, voice filled with worry. " _I've been looking everywhere for you!"_

_Shit. I shouldn't have waited so long to call her._

"Look, it's...a really fucking long story, but...I'm at the Dark Room." He stood up and began to walk around the room, running his fingers through his hair anxiously.

" _Why are you there_?" She asked, hesitation and confusion clear in her voice. " _What happened?"_

Nathan closed his eyes. "Jefferson killed Victoria."

There was a long silence.

"Yo, Caulfield. You still there?" He pulled his phone away from his ear to check the screen to see if she hung up on him or not.

She finally spoke. " _I'm here._ " Her voice was quiet and shaky. " _Nathan, I'm...I'm so sorry.."_

"I know." He rubbed his eyes tiredly and then glanced at Chloe and Jefferson. "Listen, Chloe and I have Jefferson tied up here. We'll explain everything to you when you get here." He paused. "Wait, can you even get here?"

"I can pick her up," Chloe jumped in. "I think I need to get out of this room for a little while, anyway."

Nathan nodded. "Never mind, Max, your girlfriend said she would come and get you."

" _Still with the girlfriend thing, Nathan?_ " Max sighed.

"Keep denying it, babe."

" _Sure_ ," Max snorted. " _Tell her I'll meet her in front of the school."_

"Will do, Caulfield...ill see you when you get here."

" _Okay. Hey, Nathan_?" She said, right before he was about to hang up.

He put the phone back to his ear. "Yeah?"

_"I really am sorry about Victoria. She didn't deserve that at all."_

He lowered his head, trying to push away the lump forming in his throat. "I know, Max. I'll...see you when you get here." He hung up the phone before she could say anything else and shoved it back in his pocket.

Chloe stood up from the couch and glanced between him and Jefferson. "Do you think you can handle being alone with him for, like, twenty-five minutes or so?"

Nathan stared at her. "Are you kidding?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"You do that."

Chloe rolled her eyes at him and looked over at Jefferson with a smirk.

"I'll see you when I get back, fucker," she mockingly saluted him.

Jefferson sneered at her.

Nathan let out a snort of laughter and moved to plop down on the couch. "Get out of here, Price."

"Yeah, I'm going." She waved him off.

Right before Chloe left, Nathan said, "hey, Chloe?"

Her hand stilled on the doorknob and she turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Can you...can you just look in his car and see if Victoria's body is there?" He asked quietly.

"I can just tell you," Jefferson grinned.

Nathan ignored him. He didn't trust Jefferson to tell the truth.

"I'm not really a big fan of dead bodies, but...yeah, I'll check," she sighed.

He nodded at her and turned away.

And then Chloe was out the door. When it slammed shut behind her, Nathan felt something in the air shift.

Because it was just him and Jefferson now.

"So, Nathan," Jefferson said with a knowing smirk, "why don't we have a chat?"

Nathan's fingers twitched and glanced over at the tools on the tray table over by the wall. 

"You know what? Let's." He stood up. "I think you and I need to have a long fucking chat."

"You mean about how I killed your best friend before you could save her?"

Nathan had been dealing with Jefferson's comments all night, but he had Chloe there to keep him as calm as he could possibly be.

But Chloe wasn't there at the moment, and he could feel the last of his "calmness" slip away.

"How about some music?" Jefferson suggested. "I'm not really in the mood for anything classical right now. You know what else I like." It wasn't even a question, and Nathan hated the fact that he knew almost everything about this man.

"Yeah." He walked over to where the stereo was and grabbed one of Jefferson's favorite CD's. He couldn't say that he was exactly thinking clearly as he inserted the CD and turned the volume up.

Then he grabbed the scalpel off the tray.

 _"I see the bad moon arising._  
I see trouble on the way.  
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.  
I see bad times today."

Nathan walked over to Jefferson and stood over him for a moment, studying the man who he used to consider family.

"What are you gonna do, Nathan?" Jefferson questioned in a way that made it clear he doubted Nathan would do anything.

Well, how fucking wrong he was.

" _Don't go around tonight, well it's bound to take your life. There's a bad moon on the rise."_

Nathan crouched and stared at Jefferson with hard eyes.

"What am I gonna do?" He repeated, face turning into a sneer. "You mean, what am I gonna do about all those girls you had me help kidnap and take pictures of?"

 _"I hear hurricanes ablowing._  
I know the end is coming soon.  
I fear rivers over flowing.  
I hear the voice of rage and ruin."

"What am I gonna do about Rachel? Kate? Or how about Victoria?" Nathan spat out the last sentence, hands shaking around the scalpel.

" _Don't go around tonight,_  
Well, it's bound to take your life,  
There's a bad moon on the rise."

"Yes, Mark, what am I gonna do about that?" Nathan pressed the knife against Jefferson's neck and pressed down until there was a small bead of blood.

The smirk on Jefferson's face faltered a bit and a bit of uneasiness took place.

"Nathan," he began to warn.

"Shut up!" Nathan screamed.

" _Hope you got your things together._  
Hope you are quite prepared to die.  
Looks like we're in for nasty weather.  
One eye is taken for an eye."

"You ruined my fucking life," Nathan continued, voice a hiss. "You ruined it and I fucking helped you without even meaning to! But no more." His eyes were crazy as they bore into Jefferson's. "This ends tonight. Here. I don't know what's gonna happen to me after this. But I know that my life isn't gonna end by your hands, or doing your fucking dirty work!"

"Nathan, you need me," was all Jefferson could manage to say.

That actually made Nathan laugh.

"I need you? No, that's where your wrong, Mark. I don't need you. I haven't for a long time." 

" _Don't go around tonight,_  
Well, it's bound to take your life,  
There's a bad moon on the rise."

Jefferson watched him with surprised eyes, but didn't speak.

"When Max and Chloe get back, I'm gonna let Chloe take her time with you. And then I'm gonna slit your throat." Nathan leaned away from the man, the corner of his lips turning up slightly. "Who knows? Maybe we'll get a few pictures in while we're at."

Maybe he was truly losing his mind, but Nathan could have sworn he saw something that resembled fear in Jefferson's eyes for a split second.

"Nathan," the man said, calmly, "you know what'll happen if you do that. You know you can't survive without me-"

And then the knife in Nathan's hand came down onto Jefferson's leg.

As sick as it was, Nathan had to admit that the loud cry of pain coming from Jefferson was like music to his ears.

 " _Don't go around tonight,_  
Well, it's bound to take your life,  
There's a bad moon on the rise."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter was slightly difficult for me. I had some trouble keeping the character's IN-character, but I hope I somewhat did them justice. It was especially difficult to write Chloe and Nathan's relationship, but I tried.
> 
> Next chapter we'll see some Max and Chloe talking some things out more and even a confession ;) And of course some Caulscott :) There's also going to be some tough decisions that all three of them will have to make. 
> 
> Song used: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. 
> 
> Until next time! <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter edited
> 
> Please don't hate me for this chapter.
> 
> I finally decided that this was going to be 30 chapters long in total.
> 
> That's all I have to say.
> 
> Enjoy (?)

  
Max was pratically bouncing on her feet by the time Chloe pulled up. Before the girl could even come to a full stop, Max was opening the door and jumping in the truck.

"Easy, tiger," Chloe said with a small laugh. "Nathan is fine--for now." _I just hope he doesn't do something stupid while I'm gone._

"It's not just Nathan I'm worried about, Chloe," Max said urgently. "Look at the sky."

Chloe frowned and stuck her head out the window to see what Max was talking about.

"Okay, Max, what am I looking for--holy shit-are those _two_ moons?" Her eyes widened. "Is the fucking _world_ ending?"

"It's not the world, Chloe, it's this town. The storm is on its way. It'll probably hit the town in a few hours or so." Max sunk down in her seat and rubbed her eyes. "What the hell am I gonna do?"

Chloe bit her lip. She had an idea of what Max was supposed to do. It was practically a no-brainer. Max had rewinded time and stopped Nathan from killing Chloe. She had fucked with fate, and that was causing the storm. It was the only thing that made sense. The only sure way to stop the storm would be to go back in time and let Nathan kill her.

_But I don't want her to do that...I'm not ready to die._

But how selfish would that make her--make the both of them? Letting the entire town get destroyed and leaving everyone to die just so Chloe could live? It would be a horrible and incredibly selfish fucking thing to do. But Chloe knew that Max would be willing to make that sacrifice for her. And that's what killed her.

_I'm not gonna say anything about it right now...I'm gonna need some time to think about this._

"The only thing we need to do right now is get back to Nathan. We'll finish with Jefferson and then we'll figure the rest out afterwards," Chloe chose to say instead, doing her best to keep her voice strong.

Max gave a short nod. "Right. So...what exactly happened?"

Chloe sighed and began to drive them away from the school. "Well, I was hiding under Jefferson's desk when I heard them come in. I guess he had drugged Nathan--just not enough to keep him out of it the entire time." She laughed. "He also tied him up, but the dumbass didn't tie the ropes tight enough. Nathan was able to free himself and stop Jefferson from killing me."

"Jefferson was about to kill you?"

"Yeah. I thought I had the bastard, but I let my guard down and he attacked me. That's kind of why my face is all bruised, Max," Chloe pointed to her black eye and bruised cheek and split lip.

 _Shit, I wasn't even paying attention._ "Jesus, Chloe..."

Chloe shrugged. "I'm fine. Like I said, Nathan saved me." Her nose wrinkled. "Okay, remind me to never say that again. Ever."

Max giggled, then her face turned sad. "I can't believe Jefferson killed Victoria."

"I know," Chloe agreed softly. "It sucks. But the only thing we can do now is make sure that fucker pays for what he's done."

Max nodded. Then she thought for a moment.

"You know...I could always rewind," she said carefully, hoping her words wouldn't upset Chloe.

"You could," Chloe replied stiffly.

"We could save Victoria and take down Jefferson."

"We could..."

Max frowned at Chloe's hesitation. "Is something wrong?"

Chloe sighed. _Okay, maybe it's time to have this conversation after all._

"If you're gonna rewind at all...maybe you should go all the way back. Like, when we were in the bathroom."

"Why would I do that?"

Chloe didn't answer. It took Max a minute to figure out what Chloe was hinting at.

"You're not suggesting what I think you are...right?" She asked, dreading the answer.

Chloe let out a shaky breath. "Max, I think you and I both know that the only way to stop this storm is to go back in time and let me die. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Chloe, I can't-"

"I know I'll be dead and I won't remember our time together," Chloe cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "And I know that everything you and Nathan had will be gone, and that he'll go to jail with Jefferson. But sacrificing the town for me...it's selfish."

Max knew Chloe was right. Of course she was right. Sacrificing the whole town for one person would be wrong--even if it was for Chloe.

But could she honestly say that she would be willing to sacrifice her best friend?

"I don't know, Chloe," she whispered. "I don't know what to do. I know the answer seems simple, but...it's not."

"Nothing in our lives is simple," Chloe said with a bitter smirk. "Max, I know I've been selfish ever since you got back. Really selfish. And I'm sorry for that. I wish I could make things right."

"No, Chloe," Max began to protest, but Chloe cut her off again.

"Just let me finish, Max." She took a deep breath. "Max...I love you."

Max closed her eyes.

"And I know you like Nathan." There was a tremble in Chloe's voice. "But you should know how I feel about you. I...I didn't think I could fall for anyone after Rachel, but...how could I not love you?"

"Why are you telling me this now?" Max couldn't keep the snap out of her tone. Chloe flinched. "Why didn't you tell me before...?"

"Would it have made any difference?" Chloe asked, bitter. "Can you honestly tell me that you even remotely feel the same way about me?"

"Yes," Max answered automatically, hating herself for the answer. "I do have feelings for you, Chloe. And maybe if you and I had...admitted it before me and Nathan...I would be with you right now."

"But you don't love me enough to be with me. It's him you want, whether you can admit that or not." Max opened her mouth to answer, but Chloe held up a hand to stop her. "And that's okay, Max. Really. He's not such a bad guy--at least not anymore. I think."

"He's not, Chloe. I know he's made a lot of mistakes, but he's trying to make up for them."

Chloe nodded. "I know, Max. I can see that."

Max breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Chloe understood it all now.

"Look, whatever choice you make about going back in time to that day you saved my life...I'll stand behind you, and I'll understand," Chloe said, one hand leaving the steering wheel so she could grab Max's hand.

"You wouldn't hate me if I...let the storm hit the town?" Max asked quietly.

"I don't think I could ever really hate you, Max. But I know that no matter what you decide, you'll make the right choice...even if it doesn't seem like the right one." Chloe squeezed her hand and then let go of it to put it back on the steering wheel.

Max stared at her friend for a moment with sad eyes. Her heart ached and she felt nothing but dread.

Because no matter what choice she made, she would never feel like it was the right one.

As Max finally turned away and looked out the window, it began to pour.

 _And so it begins_ , she thought.

* * *

 

"Shit, I did a number on you," Nathan whistled as he sat back, the knife in his hand soaked in blood.

Jefferson didn't answer him. He couldn't. He had passed out after the third time Nathan brought the scalpel down on his leg. For a moment Nathan was worried that he had killed the asshole--not that he would have felt bad about it, but he knew that Chloe still had unfinished business with the guy.

"I loved you more than my own father at one point, you know," he continued, not caring that Jefferson couldn't hear him. He doubted that he would even say the words if the teacher was awake.

"I'm not that much better than you. I know that. But I'm gonna try to be, I think. After this shit is over."

 Nathan sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. God, did he wish he had a blunt right now. Smoking pot and passing out for at least ten hours sounded amazing to him right now. But he knew he wouldn't be able to get any sleep even if he wanted to.

Jefferson began to stir. Nathan tensed and backed up a little bit, though it was unnecessary. He just didn't want to be so close to Jefferson if the man was awake. A second later, Jefferson's eyes fluttered open.

"Waking up already, asshole?" Nathan murmured.

Jefferson groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. "Shit, that hurts."

"Well, yeah, I stabbed you," Nathan said dryly. "I would be concerned if it _didn't_ hurt."

Jefferson tried to move his leg a tiny bit and hissed as a flash of pain shot up.

"Wouldn't move it if I were you." Nathan began to pick at the dried blood under his nails, and he could only imagine how crazy he looked.

"Nathan...I'm sorry," Jefferson croaked.

Nathan paused and glanced up at the man. "Come again?"

"I'm sorry...for everything."

Nathan raised and eyebrow and let out a harsh laugh. "You're sorry? Yeah, you're sorry because you fucking lost."

Jefferson sighed. "No, Nathan, I'm sorry because-"

"Just shut up," Nathan snapped. "I don't believe a fuckin' word that comes out of your mouth. And even if you are being serious, it's too late. I don't want to hear your bullshit apologies."

And just like that, Jefferson's face turned into a sneer.

"Well, at least I can say I tried," he chuckled darkly.

"Yeah. At least."

"But, in all honesty, Nathan...the only thing I'm sorry about is thinking I could believe in you, thinking you were strong enough to handle this. You're not strong. You're weak."

Nathan felt anger boil up inside of him, though he tried to push it down. "Shut up," he warned through gritted teeth.

Jefferson wasn't finished, though. "It's no wonder your father hates you, Nathan. You're fucking pathetic, always looking for someone to love you. Nobody loves you, Nathan. You're a psychotic, fucked up little shit and I wish I had killed you when I had the chance-"

" _Shut up!_ " Nathan screamed, jumping to his feet and whipping out his gun. " _Shut up, shut up, shut up!"_

Once again, Jefferson's attitude changed.

"Nathan," he whimpered. "Nathan, please, don't..."

Nathan wasn't sure if Jefferson was just bipolar as fuck, or if the man thought he was stupid enough to fall for the act. But when he heard the familiar voice behind him, he realized just what Jefferson was playing at.

"Drop the gun, Nathan! Now!" David Madsen yelled.

Nathan spun around, gun still in his hand.

"No," he shook his head frantically. "Madsen, this isn't--he was the one who-"

"I said drop it!"

"David, it's him," Jefferson said, pretending as if the words were a struggle to get out. "He's behind Kate and Rachel and all those other poor girls who are dead."

And that's when Nathan realized that maybe Jefferson was gonna win after all.

But that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

"You're a fucking liar!" He snarled, turning his back on David to face Jefferson again, the gun held up and finger on the trigger. "Just tell the truth, Jefferson! Because Max and Chloe will!"

"Max and Chloe?" David hissed from behind him. "You dragged them into this, you sick bastard?"

Anger flared once again inside Nathan.

"I told you, it was him!" Nathan made the mistake of turning back around, the gun still raised. "Listen to me, you piece of-!"

And then David pulled the trigger of his own gun, the bullet piercing Nathan's head.

He was dead the second the bullet hit him.

He dropped to the floor. The gun was still clenched in one hand and his face was frozen in shock, the light in his eyes no longer there. Blood began to pool around him.

David looked between Nathan and the gun, as if he couldn't believe what he had just done.

"Jesus," he muttered, eyes sad. He hadn't wanted to do that...he had just reacted. It was something he had been taught in the war-- _kill the enemy before they kill you. Don't wait to see if they're going to pull the trigger, because taking a chance that they won't could cost you your life._

"You did what you had to do, David," Jefferson said, hidden satisfaction on his face. "He probably would have killed you."

David let out a shaky breath. "Yeah. Maybe." He put the gun back in his back pocket and walked over to Jefferson to untie him.

"You alright?" He grunted as he untied the ropes.

"The fucker repeatedly stabbed me in the leg. God only know what else he would have done if you hadn't shown up." Jefferson rubbed at his sore wrists and allowed David to help him to his feet. It wasn't easy, but he managed to stand up without his feet crumbling underneath him.

"I'll call the police, get you an ambulance," David said. He looked down at Nathan and ran a tired hand over his face.

_I just killed a kid..._

Sure, he wanted Nathan Prescott to pay for what he had done, but he didn't exactly want to see the boy dead. Not by his hands, at the very least.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jefferson attempting to bend down, and when he looked at the man curiously, he saw that Jefferson was picking up the bloody scalpel that had been used on him.

"What are you doing?" David asked in confusion. "Don't touch that. Your fingerprints will be all over it."

"Oh, don't worry," Jefferson chuckled, standing back up, "I plan on chucking this in the river the first chance I get."

Before David could reply, Jefferson jammed the scalpel into his throat. He watched with a sick grin on his face as David's eye widened and he gurgled as blood spurted from his throat.

"Sorry, David," Jefferson sighed, lowering the man to the ground, "but unfortunately you're not as good as you thought you were." He watched as David choked on blood for another second before his breathing finally ceased for good.

The sight of both Nathan and David dead, blood surrounding them and shocked look upon their faces, was almost beautiful.

"I told you fuckers I would win," he said. He looked at the blood on his hands that had gotten on him from when he killed David and shook his head with a small laugh. "Now all I have to do is wait for that punk slut and hipster bitch to get back here."

* * *

 

"Who's car is that?" Max frowned as they pulled up to the old barn.

Chloe leaned forward and squinted to look at the license plate.

"Fuck," she groaned, "that's David's car."

"Shit! Chloe, we need to get in there, now!" Max quickly opened the door and jumped out of the car, not bothering to wait for her friend.

Chloe cursed under her breath and scrambled to follow Max. They didn't speak as they ran inside the barn and down the stairs that led into the basement.

"I swear, if David fucks this up-" Chloe began to snarl as they ran inside the room. She stopped short as she took in the scene in front of her.

"Oh, my God!" Max cried, hand flying up to cover her mouth, tears filling her eyes.

David and Nathan, laying dead on the ground, the floor a bloody mess underneath them.

And Jefferson sat on the couch, one arm casually draped across the top, gun in hand. As soon as he heard Max, he turned to his head to look at them and then stood up.

"Welcome back," he welcomed them with a twisted grin on his face. "I'm sorry you missed the party. But that's okay. We're about to have one of our own." He glanced at Chloe with a look of distaste. "But first..."

Before either of them could react, Jefferson pulled the trigger on his gun and the next thing Max knew, Chloe was nearly flying backwards as the bullet hit her.

"No!" Max screamed. "Chloe!"

Chloe's eyes were closed, but Max could see that the gun had only hit her in her shoulder, and she was still breathing.

_Rewind, Max, rewind!_

Before she could, however, Jefferson grabbed her shoulder and yanked her away from Chloe.

"No!" She cried, struggling against him as he began to drag her away. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Shut up, bitch," he snarled, roughly throwing her to the ground. She landed hard on her back and let out a grunt of pain.

"And then there was one," Jefferson sighed, bending down in front of Max.

She glared at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're not gonna get away with this, asshole!"

"I'm not?" He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Max, how do you figure? Madsen's dead, Nathan's dead, and your friend over there is dead, too. So, please, tell me how I'm not going to get away with this?"

 _He doesn't realize Chloe's not dead_ , Max thought in relief. He shot her so fast, he probably wasn't even thinking about where he was aiming. _God, please don't let him see that she's still alive. Please._

"Where's your mind at, Max?" Jefferson shook his head and with a sneer, said, "you never did pay attention in my class."

He pulled his fist back, and Max squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the blow. It landed on the side of her head, knocking her out cold.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, you guys, it'll get better, I promise! Don't lose hope yet! 
> 
> It wasn't actually part of the plan to have Nathan die, but the idea popped into my head because I'm evil af.
> 
> After all, Chloe isn't dead *wink* *wink*
> 
> Until next time!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't as long as I originally planned :/ But I'm already working on chapter 18 so it should be up in the next few days :)

  
_"Wake up, Max."_

_Max opened her eyes with a groan._

_"N-Nathan?" She muttered groggily, rubbing at her eyes._

_He smiled sadly at her. "Long time no see, babe." He paused. "At least it feels like a long time."_

_"...This isn't real, is it?" She whispered as she took in her surroundings. They were standing on the beach, the sky a clear blue. There were no dead Whales laying on the beach, nor could she see the huge, angry tornado that had been coming towards Arcadia Bay in her visions, soon to be a reality._

_"No, it's not," he replied, frowning._

_She nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. "Am I dead or dreaming?"_

_"Dreaming, I hope."_

_"Yeah..." She let out a shaky breath and took a step towards him hesitantly, fearing that he would disappear if she got too close. But Nathan immediately wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him until their bodies were practically touching._

_"I'm sorry, Max," he sighed. "I...I didn't mean for any of this to happen."_

_"I know that." A tear slipped down her face, and he reached up to cup her cheek, brushing it away. "Jefferson killed you..."_

_There was no bullet wound or blood. His face was just as perfect as ever and his skin was warm._

_"Don't cry over me, Max," he murmured. "I'm not worth it."_

_"You are worth it," she said fiercely. "When are you going to get that?"_

_He let out a small laugh and pressed his forehead against hers. "Thanks for thinking so, Max. I'm really gonna miss you, you know."_

_Fear swelled up inside of her._

_"Please, don't go yet," she cried, squeezing her eyes shut as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "Please stay."_

_"I'm not going anywhere yet," he squeezed her hand. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Caulfield."_

_Despite the situation, she allowed herself to smile._

_"Finally," he huffed. "I thought I was gonna have to put on a clown costume and start juggling just to get you to smile."_

_She giggled before her smile turned sad._

_"I'll get you back," she promised. "I know what I have to do. I just have to...try to get away from Jefferson."_

_Nathan closed his eyes for a long time. Max waited patiently in silence, trying to make the most of this moment together._

_Because even though this wasn't real, if there was a chance that she couldn't find a way to free herself from Jefferson, this would be the last time she would ever be able to have another moment with Nathan again._

_"Max..." He whispered, opening his sorrow-filled eyes to look at her._

_"Yes?" He didn't answer. "Nathan?"_

_Nathan let out a long sigh, and cupped the back of her head. Then he pressed his lips against hers._

_The kiss was different than the times they kissed before. It wasn't rushed, desperate. It was slow and sweet, and it was exactly how she pictured her first kiss with anyone to be, even though this was only a dream. His lips were soft and gentle against hers. Max gripped his waist tightly, not wanting to let go of him._

_It was hard to believe that she could fall for Nathan Prescott in just a week._

_"I have to go now."_

_Max gripped him tighter in fear. "Please don't."_

_"I have to." A large hole began to form on his forehead. Max watched in horror as blood began to drip down his face. "I'm dead, remember?" His skin began to lose its color, a putrid smell filling Max's nostrils and making her feel sick to her stomach._

_His body was decaying right before her eyes._

_"No!" She screamed, and she couldn't recognize her own voice. "Oh, my God! Nathan!"_

_Nathan's skip began to peel off of his face until Max could practically see the bone. He looked like something out of a zombie horror movie._

_"Wake up and fix this, Max," he said before he disappeared completely._

 

* * *

 

Max woke up with a gasp.

The lights and the room had been lowered, making it slightly dark but not hard to see. Nathan and David's body's were still on the ground, rotting away not too far from her.

 _It was all a dream_ , she thought. _I'm still alive...but for how much longer?_ She was tied down to chair and couldn't even move.

"Max?"

Her eyes moved to look at Jefferson. The twisted grin on his face made her want to vomit.

"You're finally awake," he said.

She glared at him.

"Now, now, there's no need for that," he scolded. He chuckled and began to circle around her. "You know, you were once my favorite student."

"Go to hell," she snarled.

Jefferson tsk'd and shook his head in disapproval. "You're as much of a disappointment as your dead boyfriend was." He let out a sigh and walked over to where Nathan was, bent down, and lifted the dead boy's head up.

Max sucked in a breath and bit down on her lip to stop herself from screaming.

Nathan didn't even look like himself. His skin was purple and waxy and his eyes were sinking into his skull. From what Max learned in health class, it wouldn't be long before his body went into fully rigor mortis. She didn't know if she could bare to see that.

"Why didn't you save me, Max?" Jefferson imitated Nathan. "You tried so hard, but in the end you failed me and everyone else-"

"Shut up!" Max screamed.

"Oh, are we angry now?" Jefferson looked highly amused, which only made Max angrier.

"You're evil," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Jefferson hummed in response. "Am I? Does that make Nathan evil, too? After all, he's my accomplish in all of this."

"You _used_ Nathan!"

"Maybe," he agreed. "But that's not what the police are gonna think. I have a whole plan set up."

Max had never felt pure rage before, but hearing Jefferson's words...is this how Nathan felt all the time?

"You can't pin this all on him!" Her tone was such a snarl that she barely recognized her own voice.

Jefferson laughed. "Of course I can. I can do anything I want."

"Why Nathan?" Max asked. "Why couldn't you have chosen someone else?" _Or better yet--no one._

"Because he was so lost." Jefferson looked down at Nathan, and Max could have sworn that she saw some kind of sadness in his eyes. "His father was an abusive asshole. And with all of Nathan's mental issues, he needed someone who could be a father figure to him. It was...so easy."

A tear slipped down Max's cheek at the thought of it. Nathan only wanted someone to love him, someone to be proud of him. Jefferson had been his safe haven, and the man had completely threw it back in his face. Nathan may deny it, but Max knew how much it probably had hurt him.

"Did you care about him at all?" She found herself asking. She didn't know why she needed to know, but she did.

Jefferson was silent for a moment.

"I did," he finally said.

"Yet you still did this to him."

"It's complicated, Max. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Bullshit it is," she snapped. "You're a fucking lunatic--that's all there is to it. And you're gonna pay for this, mother fucker.

Jefferson snorted. "And who's going to make me pay for this, Max? Your dead friends? You? You'll be joining them in about," he checked the watch on his wrist, "oh, now."

Fear creeped up Max's spine but she tried not to let it show on her face. She couldn't let the bastard see it.

"Are you going to shoot me?" She asked, voice steady.

"No. I have enough of a mess to clean up as it is." Jefferson walked over to the tray that held needles and what Max assumed was some kind of roofie drug and picked a needle up. The gun was also on there, and she wished she had telekinesis, too.

"I'll just give you an overdose," he smirked.

 

* * *

 

_"I'll just give you an overdose"_

Chloe's heart began to pound as she heard the words. She had been awake for most of the conversation between Jefferson and Max, but she hadn't dared move, despite the pain in her shoulder from where he bullet had hit her. She needed to wait for the perfect moment.

_Fuck knows how. I don't have a weapon on me..._

Doesn't matter. She couldn't dwell on it now. Not if she wanted to save Max.

"Mr. Jefferson, please...why are you doing this?"

"Shut up, you stupid cunt!"

"No...please!"

_Now, Chloe!_

She quietly and slowly sat up, making sure Jefferson wasn't looking. His back was turned to her, needle clenched in his hand. She lightly jumped to her feet, making sure she didn't make a sound, and began to move towards Jefferson.

"Sorry it has to be this way, Max," Jefferson apologized. "This isn't how I wanted things to turn out. Both you and Nathan had a gift, and both of you threw it away."

"Mr. Jefferson, please...you don't know what's happening."

Jefferson shushed her.

"Goodbye, Max." He leaned down, tilted her head up, and kissed her.

 _Oh, hell no, mother fucker_ , Chloe thought angrily.

And then she ran up behind Jefferson, jumped on his back like the fucking ninja she was, and bit hard into his neck.

Jefferson let out a scream and stumbled back. Blood filled Chloe mouth and when she pulled back, a small chunk of his flesh tore off.

 _Holy fuck!_ She thought. _That's so fucking gross_! She spat it out of her mouth, but it did nothing to get rid of the awful taste.

"Fucking bitch!" Jefferson screamed. With a strength that surprised Chloe, he shoved her off of him. She hit the table with a yelp, her back hitting it so hard that it shattered beneath her.

"No!" Max screamed, kicking against the restraints.

Chloe ignored the pain rushing up her back and quickly got to her feet. Jefferson was clutching the large wound on his neck. He looked ready to pass out.

"Mother fucker!" Chloe snarled. She pulled her fist back and then slammed it into Jefferson's face. He cried out and clutched at his eye, stumbling back again. Then she lunged at him, knocking them both down on the ground, and she landed right on top of him.

"This is for Rachel, you piece of shit!" She slammed her fist onto his face again. "Kate!" _Slam_. "Nathan!" _Slam._ "David!" _Slam_. Victoria." _Slam._ "And this is for what you were about to do to Max, you fucking psycho!" _Slam_. Her shoulder where the bullet had hit her was throbbing painfully, but it only fueled her anger.

And then she screamed.

It was a scream full of agony, letting out the pain that she had been bottling up for years.

Because she had lost everything, and the man beneath her was responsible for half of the reason why. It was like something inside of her just snapped.

She couldn't stop herself from hitting him over and over and over again to the point where his face was just one big bloody mess, nose broken to all hell. She imagined herself landing a blow on him so hard that his entire face caved in.

"Chloe!" Max screamed from behind her. "Chloe, stop! He's dead!"

Chloe drew her fist back and blinked. Jefferson was still alive, but barely. He was coughing up blood and he let out ragged breaths.

"Not yet, Max," Chloe said darkly. "But he's about to be." She looked around the room for the gun and spotted it on the tray. She slowly stood up, making sure Jefferson wouldn't be able to go after her, before she walked over to it and picked the gun up. She looked down at it for a moment, hands shaking.

_This is it, Chloe. It's all on you now. Kill the fucker so he never hurts anyone again...even if he already has hurt everyone you love and care about._

Anger flared inside of her again and, with a dark look, she walked back over to Jeffersons body, stood in front of him, and pointed the gun at his head.

"Please..." He choked out weakly.

"Please what?" Chloe snapped. "Please spare your life? Is that what Rachel asked before you fucking killed her? Is that what Nathan asked? Victoria? Huh?!"

Jefferson struggled for an answer but more blood filled his lungs before he could.

"This ends now, asshole," she continued angrily, voice cracking. "You're finished. You hear me? It's over!" She cocked the gun. "Suck dick and die, mother fucker."

She pulled the trigger.

_BLAM._

Max watched in shock as the bullet hit Jefferson in the head. The man's head snapped to the side, and...

And it was over.

Just like that.

Max could have screamed in relief. But she was too paralyzed to do anything.

Chloe stared down at Jefferson's dead body, anger slowly fading from her face and a tired and relieved look taking over. She dropped the gun, knowing she wouldn't need it anymore, and then ran over to Max to untie her.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, getting the restraints off.

"Are you?" Max countered.

Chloe paused and looked up to meet Max's eyes. "...no."

"Neither am I." The restraints finally came off and Max was free. "Thank you, Chloe..."

"Don't thank me," Chloe grunted, standing back up. "What, was I going to sit there while he killed you?"

Max stood up also and faced her best friend. "No...I just...thank you."

Her best friend rubbed the back of her neck and nodded. She glanced over at Nathan and David's dead bodies. She felt bile rise in her throat and she doubled over, clutching her stomach.

"Shit," she moaned.

Max put her hands on Chloe's shoulders, giving the girl a worried look. "Chloe?"

"Just give me a second, Max-" A wave of nausea washed over her and she threw up all over the floor. She let out a gasp, struggling to breathe as she vomited again. She was vaguely aware of Max rubbing her shoulders soothingly. After a moment of making sure she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood back up.

"I'm good," she told Max.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She winced. "Fuck, this room smells like death."

"That would be the decaying bodies right next to us," Max replied dryly. She winced at the words. _I can't believe how insensitive I just sounded. What's wrong with me?_

Chloe looked at her strangely. "You seem a little too calm for someone who just nearly got killed and saw their crush's dead body."

 _She must think I'm insane_ , Max thought. Not that she could blame Chloe. She felt calm, despite the circumstances. Maybe it was just because she was in too much shock, but she didn't think it was that.

No, it was knowing that she could still go back in time and fix all of this. That is what is keeping her from completely falling apart.

"You're gonna go back in time, aren't you?" Chloe asked, as if she had read Max's mind.

Max looked down and nodded. Her and Chloe had talked about it in the car, but they hadn't expected any of this to happen. Chloe ripped out a chunk of Jefferson's neck just to save Max, for Christ sake. And Max knew Chloe wasn't selfish enough to feel like she went through all that trouble for nothing, but at the same time, her best friend was also a bit unpredictable with her mood swings.

But instead of Chloe getting angry like a part of Max had expected, she took Max's hand and squeezed it.

"Good," she said.

Max looked up at her, surprised. "Good?"

"Duh. Dude, did you honestly think I would be angry? You have a chance to save Nathan, Victoria, and my...my stepfather. Of fucking course I want you to go back in time."

"Jefferson will still be alive," Max reminded Chloe.

"I know that."

"And you're okay with that?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Not really. But if you explain to me everything that's happened, I won't take my time killing him. I'll shoot him and be done with it. And then we can figure everything out from there." She paused. "I mean, I guess that is depending on how far you go back. How are you even gonna back that far?"

 Max didn't need to think about it. It's been on her mind for a while.

"I took a picture with Warren," she said. "I can use it. But we have to find him. He has the picture."

Chloe nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for, Super Max? Let's go."

"Wait." Max grabbed Chloe's arm. "Your shoulder-"

"It's fine. Don't worry about that." Chloe shook Max's hand off and began to walk away. "We have a town to save."

 

* * *

 

The storm was worse than ever when they went outside. The wind was fierce and "it's pouring out" didn't even seem like the right description. This storm was like nothing they've ever seen.

"You've got to be shitting me!" Chloe snapped when they finally made it inside her truck, drenched to the bone.

"I know," Max agreed. "This is why we have to hurry before it gets even worse."

Chloe started the truck and gave Max an annoyed look. "I would love to hurry, Max. But I also would like to get there in one piece. We won't be any use dead."

Max ignored her and took out her cell phone. She scrolled through her contacts before coming across Warren's name and dialed the number.

"Hello?" He answered after one ring.

Max breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey, Warren-"

"Max?! Damn, where are you?" His voice was filled with concern.

"Never mind...Listen, do you that photo you took in the parking lot?"

"Uh, yeah, but why?" He asked, confused. "It wasn't that great shot."

"Yes, it is and I want it! Where are you?"

Chloe chuckled and ignored the look Max shot her, keeping her eyes solely on the road ahead of them.

"I'm at the Two Whales diner," he replied.

"He's at the diner?" Chloe spoke up before Max could answer. "Shit--is my mom there? Is she okay?"

"Warren, is Chloe's mom there?" Max asked.

"Yeah, she's here. We're pretty much trapped in here, thanks to this Armageddon weather."

Max nodded at Chloe and her friend visibly relaxed.

"We're on the way," Max told him. She noticed that the truck was beginning to pick of speed, and she guessed Chloe was as anxious as she was to get there.

"Come on, that's crazy!" Warren protested. "You can barely walk on the sidewalk outside. Seriously, Max, stay where you are. I don't think this storm is getting any smaller. I'm kind of scared..."

Max nodded in understanding. "That's okay, me too. But it's not over yet, Warren...So, hold on."

"Wait-"

She hung up the phone before he could protest some more. She was on edge enough as it was. She knew Warren was just trying to look out for her, but if she had stayed on the phone with him for much longer, she might have snapped at him.

"We're almost there," Chloe said, hands clenched around the wheel. "Just hang in there, Max."

"I'm trying, Chloe...I'm trying."

She stared out the window, tears beginning to roll down her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is with me and angst? Sorry guys! I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. Nathan will be back ;) Happy reunions for all! And jeffershit is dead...for now.
> 
> Once again, the italics would not work for me when I was finishing up this chapter. I swear I need to get a laptop because using my phone just isn't working out. Sorry for any confusion :/
> 
> Thanks for reading, as always!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter edited 
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter killed me in every way possible.
> 
> Enjoy!

The town was destroyed.

Max felt her heart drop at the sight. Half-destroyed buildings, cars, debris and wood all over the road. People were yelling and running away, and some were severely injured.

"Holy shit," Chloe gasped as they finally came to a stop.

 _I couldn't agree with you more_ , Max thought. She took a deep breath and got out of the car.  "Come on, Chloe...let’s go."

Chloe got out after her and they paused for a moment, taking in the sight before them. The tornado was so close to the town---too close.

"It won't be long before it hits us," Chloe said, staring up at it with wide eyes.

Max nodded and looked at her friend. "Then we'd better hurry up." She grabbed Chloe's hand and began to pull her along, both of them trying to cover their faces with their free hand so they could see a little better, as the rain and wind were whipping across their faces.

People were screaming and crying for help. Chloe tensed and tried to block them out. If she could, she would have covered her ears with her hands like a child. But instead she gripped Max's hand tightly, feeling safe when Max squeezed her hand back comfortingly. As long as she had Max by her side, she could do this.

"Oh, God! Someone help!" Max heard the familiar voice and looked up.

Alyssa was standing on a building that was already half-destroyed and most likely about to collapse.

 _Shit...Alyssa needs help again_. As hard as it was for her to ignore the urge to help all those other poor people, she just couldn't do that to Alyssa, despite the fact that the girl seemed to carry bad luck around with her. It was a horrible thing to think, and she felt bad for thinking it, but how long would it be after she saves Alyssa that the girl would find herself in trouble again? Max wouldn't be around to save her.

_That doesn't matter, Max. You can't just walk away from her. You wouldn't want someone to do that to you._

"Help me get down, Max!" Alyssa yelled.

Max moved forward, but Chloe stopped her. "I got her," she said.

Max watched as Chloe carefully made her way up the wooden boards. There was a gap between her and Alyssa. No way would Chloe be able to get her down easily.

"You need to jump," Chloe told the girl, reaching her hand out to help.

Alyssa frantically shook her head. "Fuck that shit! There's no fucking way I'm gonna make that jump!"

Chloe let out a frustrated sigh. "You'll be fine. I've got you."

"Yeah, right! If I miss this jump and you grab my hand, you'll be taken down right with me!"

Max could see how annoyed and antsy Chloe was getting. Her eyes quickly scanned for something Chloe could use to get Alyssa safely across, and they landed on a long wooden plank.

"Chloe, use that piece of wood!" Max called out.

Chloe seemed confused for a second before she saw what Max was talking about. She grabbed it and put it over the gap before quickly making her way up it. "Come on!" She said. "Take my hand."

Alyssa seemed reluctant for a second, but then took Chloe's hand. "Here I come!" She cried as they moved back down the plank as fast as they could. The piece of wood immediately collapsed after that.

"Thank you!" Alyssa gasped once they were back down with Max.

Chloe nodded. "Don't sweat it."

"Are you okay?" Max asked Alyssa.

"Now I am," the other girl replied, looking beyond relieved. "We need to get out of here!"

Max shook her head. "Chloe and I have to help other people."

"Chloe Price, stoner by day, superhero by night," Chloe said sarcastically.

Alyssa thanked her once more and then took off. Max could only hope that she was running to somewhere much safer.

"Let's go," Chloe nodded towards the street and began to push Max along. There didn't seem to be a way right to the diner, but they saw a building that had a large hole in it. They could see that there was a small fire inside, but they didn't comment on it, both silently agreeing that it wasn't going to stop them.

They both ran past a woman crying over a man who was clearly dead. It made Max's heart hurt. She didn't know if it was the woman's boyfriend or husband or whatever, but if it was...well, she could understand the pain the woman must be feeling. Even if her and Nathan weren't exactly a thing.

"How are we gonna get out of here?" Max asked when they were in the building.

Chloe looked around the room for an exit, but the only one there that would lead them towards the diner was blocked off by burning debris. "Shit," she cursed. "I think the only way we're getting out of here is to put that fire out. Unless you want to go back and try and find another way around?"

"I don't think there is another way, Chloe," Max sighed. "And I don't want to waste any more time trying to find one." She noticed the sprinkler on the roof. "We need to switch on the electricity to activate that sprinkler."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock. But how? Where the fuck is the switch?"

"It's over there," Max pointed at the fuse box on Chloe's left. She'd been in here a few times before and knew exactly where it was

 "This better work," Chloe muttered as she followed Max to the fuse box. "Don't you fucking fail me now, Mr. Fuse box." She switched it on and the sprinklers came on. "Yes!" She cried out in victory

Only it wasn't exactly a victory, because the man who was in the room next to them was electrocuted the minute Chloe turned the switch on.

"Oh..." She blinked. "Uh...whoops."

Max groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Damn it, Chloe."

"Hey, I didn't know that was going to happen! And don't you _dare_ think about rewinding. We don't have time for that shit. Once you go back in time, he'll be alive." Max knew Chloe was right. But that didn't make her feel any better about leaving a man dead when they were responsible for it. Before she could make up her mind, Chloe was already hopping through the glass window into the room where the man was.

"Max, let's go!" She snapped. Without waiting for her friend, she began to leave the room. Max sighed and quickly followed after her. The last thing they needed right now was to be apart.

* * *

 

Chloe swears that there was a fucking angel glow around the diner when they got outside. She stood there for a moment, taking it all in. "You see that, Max?" She smiled and slung an arm around her best friend’s shoulders. "We made it."

And they did. After all the shit they went through, they were finally here. Together. And Max would be able to grab the photo and fix all of this. Everything would be okay again, even if for only a small amount of time. Nathan would be alive again, maybe Victoria.

_But for how long?_

If she went all the way back in time and let Nathan kill Chloe, everything they had been through together would never have happened, and he would get in so much trouble. Could she really do that to him knowing what she knows now?

But if she didn't go back in time, the town would be gone. Nathan and Chloe's families would be gone. Their friends would be gone. And maybe Max would get to have Nathan and Chloe and whoever else she could keep with her, but was that still worth sacrificing the entire town?

She didn't know. And right now she didn't want to think about it.

"Come on," she gave Chloe a forced smile and they both began to run to the diner.

 _So close_ , Max thought as they were nearing it. _So close. Come on_.

And the diner blew up.

"No!" Chloe screamed in absolute horror. "Mom!"

 _Shit! No!_ Max immediately held out her hand and began to reverse time.

Once she was far back enough, she warned Chloe not to go any farther. A box of sand caught her eye and she grabbed a shovel before dumping the sand on the fuel, effectively stopping it from reaching the diner.

"Uh, do I even _want_ to know why you did that?" Chloe asked, eyebrow raised.

Max shook her head. "Honestly? Not really. And there's no time to explain. Come on."

* * *

 

After having to find another way inside the diner because the front door was blocked (which made Chloe start cussing like a truck driver), they were finally, _finally_ inside.

"Max!" Warren cried as soon as he spotted them. He ran over to her and pulled her into his arms, just as Joyce did the same with Chloe.

"Oh, Chloe!" Joyce sighed, hugging her daughter tightly. "Honey, I was so damn worried about you. The _both_ of you. I...I thought something may have happened..." Her voice trailed off and tears filled her eyes at the thought of anything happening to her daughter.

Chloe felt her own tears begin to come and buried her face into the crook of her mother's neck. "I'm okay," she sniffled, voice muffled. "I'm just glad that you are." She leaned back to look at her mother. "Mom, I'm so sorry for all the shit I've given you. You shouldn't have had to put up with me. I'm _really_ fucking sorry. I was just so angry at you for marrying David after we lost Dad, and-"

Joyce shushed her. "I know, baby. I know." That was all she said, but Chloe knew that she was forgiven. And that's all that mattered.

"I love you, Mom," she choked out.

"I love you too, sweetie. Wait... _oh, Jesus_ , Chloe, what happened to your shoulder?"

Max respectfully looked away from them and led Warren away, wanting to give the mother and daughter some privacy. She knew Chloe could come up with a smooth lie.

"You okay, Warren?" She asked her friend in concern.

Warren didn't answer for a moment. "How the hell did I ignore all those warnings, Max?" He finally said softly. "The snow, the eclipse..."

"There's nothing you could do about it, Warren." _But I can._

Warren shook his head. "I'm so stupid. I should have seen it coming." He walked away from her to lean against the counter. Max knew he probably wanted a little bit of space right now, but she couldn't give it to him. So she followed him.

"I hate to say I'm glad to see you," he said, "but I'm so glad to see you."

"That's okay," Max chuckled. "The important thing is that you're safe. I know you can take care of yourself, Warren. You proved it when you stuck up for me in the parking lot that day." Her mind flashed to the day that started it all. The day she reunited with Chloe. The day she got her powers. And the day she and Nathan spoke for the very first time. Of course they had been fighting and Nathan had tried to attack her, but it was still important to her, nonetheless.

"I wish I had done more," Warren scoffed. "I wish I had kicked his ass."

Max bit her lip and looked down at the ground.

"Max? You okay?"

Chloe came up beside Max and answered for her. "Believe it or not, Warren, Nathan isn't such a bad guy." She let out a light laugh. "Trust me, I hardly believed it myself. But he's...he's cool."

There was an awkward silence, but Max was grateful that Chloe was trying to help her out. She didn't know why, but...she felt like she needed to tell Warren about what was going on with her and Nathan, even if there wasn't exactly much going on. And Chloe must have overheard and realized that her best friend needed her as backup.

Warren drew his eyebrows together. "What? _Seriously_?"

Chloe shrugged. "I hated the guy more than anyone, but I just...got to knew him better. He's still kind of a prick, but not as much as you think." She glanced at Max before adding, "And he and Max are kind of..."

Max's head shot up and she glared at Chloe.

The other girl held up her hands in defense. "I'm just trying to help you out! Geez." She grumbled something and then went quiet.

Warren looked between the two of them with a look of disbelief. "Seriously? Max?" He looked at her for confirmation.

She hesitated at first, but then nodded. "It's true, Warren. He and I are...not exactly dating, but we both kind of established that the feelings are there. And I _really_ hope you don't hate me for it, because I really don't want to lose you as a best friend, Warren. I can't even begin to explain how the whole thing happened, but just know that Nathan's sorry for everything, and-" She knew she was rambling like an idiot, if the weird look from Chloe was anything to go by.

And then Warren's arms were around her, cutting her off before she could finish.

"Of course I don't hate you, Max," he said softly. "I could never hate you. I'm...surprised as hell, yeah. And I really don't understand what you could see in that guy, but...that's okay. I guess. I won't hold it against you. I don't want to lose you, either."

Max closed her eyes and held him. She couldn't be more grateful for Warren. She really couldn't.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He chuckled. "Yeah."

Deep down, Max knew that Warren wasn't as okay with it as he claimed to be--not that she could blame him. But she was just relieved that he hadn't gotten pissed at her for it. She was fine with him pretending. She would be going back in time soon, anyway. This conversation will never have happened.

"Warren, there's something else I need to tell you," Max said when they pulled back.

"Right. The thing you were gonna tell me in the parking lot and never got a chance to."

Chloe gave Max a, _what the hell are you doing_ look, but Max ignored it.

"Yes," Max nodded. “So please listen. I know what I'm about to say is gonna sound crazy, but it's the truth. I need you to hear me out."

"Of course, Max. Just tell me." Max took a deep breath. Then she began to spill everything. "I had a vision in Jefferson's class of a tornado destroying Arcadia Bay. I went to the bathroom and saw...saw Chloe getting shot by Nathan." Chloe shifted uncomfortably. "You with me so far?"

"Where else could I be? Go on," Warren urged.

"Then I found out that I could rewind time...And, long story short, Mark Jefferson is insane and dangerous."

"He totally tricked Nathan into helping him drug and take creepy pictures of girls," Chloe added, and with a dark look, said, "The son of a bitch killed Rachel. And he drugged Kate."

"Jesus," Warren breathed.

"I have to go back in time," Max continued. "Jefferson killed Nathan and David. He shot Chloe in the shoulder. He would have killed _me_ if Chloe hadn't saved me. She killed him."

"Wish I could do it all over again," Chloe muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fucking prick." She made a noise of disgust and shook her head. "Look, Warren, Max needs that photo so we can save Nathan and David...And possibly the town."

"Going back in time is what caused the storm," Warren reminded them.

A lump formed in Max's throat. "I know that," she said shakily. "But I have to do this Warren."

Warren sighed. "I get it, Max. And I'm so sorry you two had to go through all that. You're the bravest girls I've ever known."

Chloe bumped shoulders with Max. "We _are_ pretty fucking awesome."

Max laughed. It was true.

"It's gonna be okay, Max," Warren said, patting her arm. "I know you'll make the right choice when the time comes."

"So...you believe me?" Max asked.

"I believe you, Max. You wouldn't make up something like this. And, in a weird way, it makes sense." He looked out at the storm before turning back to Max. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Thanks for being here, Warren. Always." Max stepped forward and gave the boy a long hug, knowing that this could possibly be the last time she would ever see him. They stayed like that for a moment before Max finally forced herself to pull away from him. Warren took out the photo of them and handed it over to her.

"Good luck, Max," he said. She gave him a smile and then leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. He blushed but he couldn't stop the large grin from forming on his face. It was only a friendly kiss, but it was more than he ever imagined he would get. He gave her small smile and took out the photo of them and placed it on the counter.

"Be careful out there," he told her with a sad look on his face.

Max nodded. "I will. I'm going to make the right choices from now on. I swear."

"That's why you're Super Max."

Chloe stepped forward to stand next to Max and looked down at the photo.

"Do you want to say goodbye to your mom?" Max murmured to her.

The other girl shook her head. "I already did."

Max took the hint that Chloe just wanted to get this over with, so she picked up the photo and began to focus on it. But just as she was about to go back in time, Chloe stopped her.

"Max, wait," she said quickly, snatching the photo out of the brunette's hand.

"Careful!" Max warned. "You'll rip it. What is it, Chloe?"

Chloe took a deep breath. "Do you think," she said slowly, "if I hold onto the picture too...I'll be able to go back in time with you and remember everything?"

The question definitely caught Max off guard, and she stood there for a minute, staring at Chloe like an idiot.

" _Both_ of us going back in time?" Max blinked.

Chloe nodded. "I know it probably won't work, but I think it's worth a shot."

"Why?"

"Because I want to remember everything," Chloe answered, almost defensively.

The possibility of anybody being able to go back in time with her hadn't crossed Max's mind once. But Chloe bringing the topic up did make her wonder. It would be great if Chloe could go with her and remember. Not only would it make it easier for Max (meaning that she wouldn't have to try and convince Chloe to _not_ draw out Jefferson's death like the girl had wanted to), but she wouldn't feel so...alone. She wouldn't be the only one to remember the hell they all went through. And, in a way, she felt like she needed Chloe to remember, because she didn't want to relive the memories all alone.

"I don't know, Chloe," Max said. "But I agree--it's worth a shot."

A small look of fear crossed over Chloe's face, but she nodded. "Okay. Cool."

"You two better get going before it's too late," Warren spoke up.

“You wanna come with us, Warren?” Chloe asked him.

He shook his head. “This seems like something just the two of you need to do.”

The two girls looked at one another for confirmation that the other was ready. They both gave a short nod and Chloe handed Max back the picture.

"Keep both of your hands on it," Max instructed her.

Chloe did as she was told and asked, "Is there anything else I have to do?"

Max shook her head. "No. I can take it from here."

With both of their hands on the picture, Max closed her eyes and focused. She could feel Chloe's hands trembling around the photo. The room around her started to become blurry, which meant it was working.

"Holy shit," she heard Chloe whisper.

For a second, there was bright white light around them...

And then Max was standing next to Warren in front of the school.

She was back.

* * *

 

When Chloe landed back in the dark room, she stumbled backwards and fell right on her ass.

"Holy fuck...No fucking way!" She gasped, head whipping from side to side, looking at everything that was around her. She looked down at her shoulder and saw that it was completely healed. There was no longer a bullet wound. Like it had never even been there in the first place. It had worked. She was back in time with Max, and she could still remember everything. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or scared.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Max's number while she got to her feet.

Max answered after the first two rings.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Max asked frantically on the other line.

Chloe let out a small huff of a chuckle. "I'm good, Max. I'm back in this shithole, but I'm good."

"Good," Max breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess that means it worked?"

"It worked. I've officially taken a small walk in your shoes, Max Caulfield." Chloe eyed the door a little nervously, hoping that Jefferson wasn't about to come in yet. She didn't know exactly how far back in time they went. "Max, is there still time for you to warn Nathan and Victoria? Or is Jefferson already on his way?"

"I have no idea," Max sighed. "I don't know where he and Victoria even were when Jefferson got them. I'm about to call his cell-"

Just then, Chloe heard footsteps approaching.

"Oh shit! He's coming! Gotta go!" Before Max could reply, Chloe hung up the phone and grabbed her gun before dashing under the desk again. As soon as the mother fucker put Nathan down and had his back turned away from her, she would strike.

Just like the first time it happened, Jefferson came in the room, said the words "here we go," and dropped Nathan to the ground.

 _I can't believe this shit is actually happening all over again,_ she thought in amazement _. In a way, this is kind of fucking cool._

"Waking up already?" She heard Jefferson say all over again. "I guess I didn't give you enough. But that's fine. We can have a chat."

"Get the fuck away from me." Nathan's voice. She never thought she would be actually relieved to hear it.

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your father?"

"You're not my father!"

"He's right." Chloe made her presence known as she got up from under the desk and raised the gun at Jefferson. "You're not his father. You're a worthless piece of shit, and it's time for you to die once and for fucking all."

Jefferson gaped at her. "How the hell did you-?"

"Shut the fuck up, man," she snarled. "I'm sick of listening to your fucking voice."

"You're not going to kill me," he relied calmly. "I know you're not. So why don't you just put the gun down and we can talk about this?"

Chloe smirked. "I killed you once, asshole. I can do it again with no problem." And before he could reply, she pulled the trigger and shot him right in the head. _Bullseye!_

It didn't feel as satisfying. She would have preferred to draw it out more, maybe get some answers to more questions that still remained unanswered. But she had promised Max that she wouldn't take her time with this.

"Jesus Christ," she heard Nathan gasp. Her eyes moved to him. There was a look of disbelief and shock on his face as he slowly sat up. His eyes flickered to hers, but he seemed to be in too much shock to say anything.

 _Well, there's a first,_ Chloe thought.

Then she let the gun slip from her hands and ran over to Nathan. She kneeled down until they were at eye-level, and she stared at him for a moment, because there was a part of her that just couldn't fucking believe he was alive right in front of her after she saw his rotting corpse not too long ago.

"What, are you gonna kiss me or something?" Nathan leaned away from her and gave her a weird look. "Why the fuck are you staring at me like a creep?"

Chloe opened her mouth to retort something...and then, without thinking about it, hugged him.

It was an awkward hug and, like the first time they hugged (only Nathan didn't remember that), he resisted a little bit. He also seemed highly confused, but Chloe ignored it and just sat there with her arms around him. Because Nathan was alive now. He was here. And Chloe was so fucking thankful for this, because now Max would have him back. The broken-hearted look on Max's face when the two had been driving to the diner to get the picture had made Chloe's own heart break. She couldn't stand to see Max like that.

"I'm really confused right now," Nathan muttered, finally relaxing.

Chloe let out a chuckle and closed her eyes. "Just shut up, idiot."

After another minute, she pulled away and turned her head to look at Jefferson's body.

"It's really over," she said with a small laugh. "It's finally fucking over."

Nathan stared at the man who he had once considered to be, aside from his sister, his only family. But he didn't feel any sadness, any regret.

"Victoria," he choked out, voice filling with tears. "I need to find her. I need to know if she's still..." 

"She's not, Nathan," Chloe said softly. "She's dead. He gave her an overdose. I can't explain right now how I know that, but I'm really sorry." 

He let out a broken sound and covered his face with his hands. He stayed like that for a few minutes before he finally looked up.

"Tell me how you know," he demanded harshly. "You can't tell me that my best friend is fucking dead and not tell me how you found out. You weren't even there!"

She sighed. "Look, there's something you should know...but it's something Max needs to be the one to tell you. I shouldn't even be bringing this up, but..." She shrugged. She knew Nathan could be trusted with this. And Max had already told Warren, so what was the big deal if Nathan knew?

"Max--shit!" He cursed loudly, quickly stumbling to his feet.

Chloe immediately stood up as well. "Dude, she's fine." She had to steady him so he wouldn't fall. "Calm down."

He grabbed his cell phone. "I fucking left her so I could go talk to...to Victoria." He could barely say her name. "She must be wondering where the fuck I am."

Chloe grabbed the cell phone out of his hands. "What the fuck-?" He began to hiss.

She cut him off. "Just chill. Max isn't wondering where you are. In fact, she's probably already on her way here."

"What? How?" A suspicious look crossed his face. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Like I said, up to Max to tell you." As if on cue, her cell phone rang. Chloe dug out her cell phone and answered it. "Yo, Max."

"Chloe, is everything okay?" The other girl asked frantically. "Did you do it? Is Nathan alive?"

"Nathan's alive and Jefferson is dead," Chloe said with a small smile. 

"I'm already halfway there. Warren's driving me. Tell him to wait for me," Max said

"I will," Chloe promised. "Have fun explaining this to Warren again."

"Yeah. Okay. Goodbye, Chloe," Max laughed before hanging up.

Chloe put her phone away and looked at Nathan. "She's on her way."

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief and went to take a seat on the couch. "Good," he sighed, leaning back against the couch. He rubbed his neck, trying to get rid of the lump forming in his throat. "It's really over, isn't it?" He murmured.

Chloe hesitated before answering, "In a way."

"What does _that_ mean?"

 _There's still the storm. There's still a chance that Max will either let me die or let the town die_.

"Nothing, Nathan," she replied softly. "Nothing at all."

* * *

 

Warren pulled up to the barn.

"Whoa," he said, eyes widening. "This place is creepy." He looked over at Max, a bit horrified. "I can't believe everything went down here."

Max had told Warren everything--again. His reaction had been pretty much the same, which she was grateful for. Of course he was drunk, but she knew that it didn't change much. And she was also grateful to have Warren with her instead of him being at the diner. It made her feel a lot better.

"It was fucking crazy," she agreed, getting out of the car. She tried to resist the urge to run to Nathan. Warren had been nice enough to let Max drive his car here. She wasn't going to leave him to make it all the way to the basement by himself while he was in this condition. She took his arm and began to lead him inside.

"This whole thing is fucking crazy," he slurred, stumbling a bit. "But you...you are a fucking superhero, Max. Don't know if anyone else could handle this."

She shrugged. "Well, I wasn't alone. I had Chloe by my side."

"True."

They both carefully made their way down the stairs and into the basement. Max's heart began to beat faster and faster the closer they got. 

"You ready, Max?" Warren asked her. "Cause’ after this...you're gonna have a choice to make."

Her heart began to race for an entirely different reason. "I know."

And then they were inside the room, and Nathan stood up and faced her.

Max sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with her hand, tears welling up in her eyes. "Nathan," she choked out as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "Nathan!" She ran to him then, and she wanted to laugh at the confused look on his face. He let out a grunt when she crashed into him, nearly knocking them both over.

"Jesus, Caulfield! What's up with you?" He steadied them but awkwardly hugged her back.

She buried her face in his neck and he could feel her warm tears. "You're alive," she sobbed. "I'm so glad you're alive."

He pulled her back to look at her, even more confused now. "That why you're crying? You thought you lost me?"

 _I did lose you_. She nodded and gripped him as tightly as she could.

"Can't get rid of me that easily," he teased, just like he had in her dream. Only this was real, and she couldn't be happier for that.

She leaned towards him without thinking and put her hand on the back of his head and connected their lips. The kiss was deep and passionate and _so_  not like her, which is why Nathan looked shocked when she pulled back. 

"I think she broke him," she heard Warren say to Chloe not-so-quietly.

Chloe snorted and nudged him.

"Damn, Caulfield...Didn't know you had it in you," Nathan smirked. 

She blushed. "I, uh..."

Nathan's lips smashed against hers.

"Damnnnn!" Both Warren and Chloe said loudly.

Max couldn't stop the hysterical giggle that bubbled up in her chest.

Nathan rolled his eyes but smiled. It was a genuine smile that sent a surge of happiness through Max. He winked at her and then went in for yet another kiss.

"Jesus, don't swallow her alive," Chloe said sarcastically.

Nathan flipped her off without breaking the kiss.

For a moment, everything was good.  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY FOR CAULSCOTT REUNITING! *Dances*
> 
> YAY FOR CHLOE AND NATHAN HAVING ANOTHER MOMENT.
> 
> YAY FOR WARREN AND CHLOE BEING LITTLE SHITS.
> 
> The idea for Chloe to go back in time for Max has been in my head forever. I figured this would be a good chapter to add it in lol.
> 
> Next chapter will be like the end of episode 5, so a lot of shit will be going down...again. And Max will have a very important choice to make...
> 
> Thank you for reading, as always :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Chapter edited 
> 
>  
> 
> CHAPTER 19 IS FINALLY HERE! WHOO!!
> 
> It only took me almost two months to post it.
> 
> I'm very sorry for my absence, guys. If you follow me on tumblr, you'll know why I've been gone so long. I made a long post about it, so if you're curious, my tumblr is jpbree1997. I go into too much detail about it lol.
> 
> This chapter will be broken into two parts, simply because the chapter was getting to be too long. And while I owe you guys a long chapter, I think it's just better to break it up. The next part will be posted either tomorrow or Tuesday, but no longer than that. 
> 
> I made some changes to Max's nightmare, and I added someone to it ;) Hopefully you all will like it. 
> 
> If anyone wants to post anything about this, you can tag it as Fic:Closer or Closerfic :)
> 
> Thank you all for your patience. My life has finally settled down, so no more long absences!

  
Nathan was sitting on the couch with Max when Chloe brought it up. 

"Max, I think you should tell Nathan everything." Chloe glanced at Warren who looked like he was gonna be sick. "You good, dude?"

Warren groaned. "I'm gonna puke."

"Go for it," Nathan said. "In fact, go do it all over Jefferson's computer. That can be one final 'fuck you' to him." He paused before saying, "He loved that fucking thing." 

"Yeah," Warren coughed, "I'm gonna go do that." He stumbled over to Jefferson's desk, nearly tripping over the teacher's dead body in the process. It was the first time he even noticed the man.

"What the hell?!" He quickly began to back away, but he was so unsteady on his feet that he fell backwards.

Chloe cursed under her breath and rushed forward to catch him before he could fall.

"Okay, dude," she laughed, "you need to lay down."

"S'probably a good idea," he slurred, eyes beginning to close.

She rolled her eyes. "Lightweight."

Nathan chuckled and got up to help her bring Warren over to the couch.

"Come on, science freak," he grunted. Both of them practically carried Warren over to the couch. Max stood up to make room as they gently laid him down. He immediately passed out, much to Nathan's amusement.

"So, what the fuck is going on?" Nathan asked, taking a seat on the table.

Max and Chloe looked at one another. Chloe gave her a nod of encouragement and Max nodded back. She stood in front of Nathan, silent and unsure of how to begin.

"Well?" He said impatiently.

"I can rewind time," she blurted out.

Everyone was silent.

He blinked. "Uh, what?"

"I don't know how, but somehow I was given the ability to rewind time."

"And she's not making it up," Chloe jumped in. "That day in the bathroom when you pointed a gun at me--which, fuck you very much for that, by way--you ended up pulling the trigger and killing me. Max rewinded time to stop it from happening. She pulled the fire alarm."

Nathan was quiet, looking between the two of them skeptically before letting out a bark of laughter.

"Aw, man, what the hell have you two been smoking?" He paused and then gave Max a look. "Wait, did Hayden give you marijuana at the party? He did, didn't he? Oh, that's too good-"

"Nathan, I'm not high!" Max said quickly. "I'm telling you the truth. I know how crazy it sounds, believe me. But I'd really like to think that you know me better than to make something so ridiculous up."

"It just doesn't make any fucking sense, Max," he shot back. "I mean, rewind powers? Seriously?"

"Jefferson killed you and David Madsen!"

Nathan was taken aback by her outburst and seemed to be at a loss for words. He watched as tears began to fall from Max's eyes, and that's when it clicked in his mind.

 _That's why she was crying so much when she saw me_...

Well, now he felt like a dick.

"Max...Max, come on...I didn't know..." He didn't seem to know what to do. 

"I don't expect you to believe me," she sniffled, trying to calm herself down. "But I saw your dead body, Nathan. Chloe and I went through hell to get you and David back."

"And Victoria?" There was something fierce in his voice that made her flinch.

"We were only able to go back in time so far," Chloe said defensively. "We were only able to get you back because Warren had a photo of him and Max at the vortex party. We used it to go back in time."

"...Okay, I'm confused as fuck." He sighed. "Look, I'm trying to understand this. I am. But you're gonna have to explain everything to me, Max. Start at the very beginning."

And Max did. Chloe added to it here and there. Nathan listened silently. Max could tell that he wanted to interrupt multiple times, so she was grateful when he didn't and chose to just hear her out. His eyes grew wider as she recounted everything.

"Wow." It was all he could manage to say when she was finally finished.

"Fucking crazy, right?" Chloe agreed.

"One way of putting it."

Max shifted on her feet, hands clasped behind her back. She felt anxious.

"So...do you believe me?" She asked quietly.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Everything you just told me is...really fucked up and insane, Max. I'm not sure if I believe it or not. I know you wouldn't make all this shit up, but...it's hard, ya know?"

She nodded.

"But I'll try," he said, catching her by surprise. "And, uh...thanks for saving me...and stopping me from killing Chloe." He felt weird saying it, because he was skeptical as fuck about the whole thing. But he felt like it needed to be said, regardless.

"Yeah," Chloe snorted, "thank god for Max." She gave Nathan a look. "I can't believe you pulled a fucking gun on me."

"Well, you were all up in my shit! _'I'll tell everyone that Nathan Prescott begs like a little girl and talks to himself'_ " He imitated Chloe. "And, I mean, you couldn't even come up with something better than that?"

"Well, apparently it worked, because you totally freaked and pointed a fucking gun on me! Dude, you shot me!"

"You pushed me away, what did you think was gonna happen?! I just reacted, okay? It was an accident!"

"Um, I was thinking that I was gonna get you the fuck away from me-"

"Enough!" Max shouted, making the other two jump. "Seriously, guys, argue later if you have to. We don't time time for this shit."

Nathan and Chloe glared at one another one last time before turning their attention back to Max.

"She's right," Chloe said. "The tornado is gonna hit the town soon."

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest and stood up. "Max, you said the storm started because you rewinded time in the bathroom, right?"

She nodded.

"So...what the fuck does that mean, exactly? How the hell do we fix this?"

Max looked down at the ground, not sure how to answer. But she didn't have to, because Chloe answered for her.

"If we want to save the town, Max has to go back to that day in the bathroom and let me die," she said, voice surprisingly strong.

Nathan gaped at her. "What?"

"It's the only way to stop this."

"No way. No fucking way." Nathan shook his head.

"Nathan, that's our only option," Chloe said impatiently. "Or do you want to see the town destroyed?"

He opened his mouth to answer before snapping his jaw shut tightly. He had no idea how to respond to that. Sure, he didn't exactly want to see the town fall apart. But he didn't want to kill Chloe, either. How fucked up would that be? They were just starting to get past their differences. And how much would that cost him?

"I don't know," he admitted sharply. "I still don't even know how the fuck to believe this shit. This is fucking nuts."

"If Max goes back in time, she can prove it to you," Chloe insisted without thinking. "She can use the picture she took in the bathroom and you can go back with her."

 _But then Nathan will remember everything,_ Max thought. _He'll have to force himself to shoot Chloe, and I don't know if he can handle that._

"Can we figure this out later?" She said. "Right now we need to get out of here before David shows up."

Chloe cursed under her breath. "That's right. We don't need David fucking everything up."

"What about Jefferson?" Nathan asked.

Max and Chloe looked down at his body. They had totally forgotten Jefferson was still there...

"Leave him," Chloe shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The town is either gonna get destroyed in the next two hours, or Max is going back in time."

Nathan grimaced. "Fine by me." He pulled out his cell phone and turned the screen on. He had three missed calls from Hayden and some other members of the Vortex club.

"We need to get to the lighthouse," Max said. "We should be safe there."

Chloe nodded. "Right. We shouldn't waste any more time, then." She walked over to the couch and began to shake Warren. "Come on, buddy. It's time to wake the fuck up."

Warren stirred and groaned. "Go away."

"We gotta go." She put a hand on his shoulder and she pulled him up into a sitting position.

"Can't I sleep for another year?" He grumbled. "I feel like absolute shit."

"You can sleep on the way to the lighthouse," Max promised him.

Warren groaned again but it seemed to satisfy him. Chloe got him to his feet and held onto him as they began to walk away, not wanting to have to pick him up if he fell.

"You better not throw up in my truck," she warned him as they left the room.

Max chuckled a little and then gave Nathan a cautious look.

"Are you coming?" She asked quietly.

He wanted to protest, because this was fucking insane, but the look on her face stopped him and he found himself nodding with a small shrug.

"I guess," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He nodded towards the door, motioning for her to go. 

"Nathan-" she began to say, but then she felt a sharp pain in her head and she cried out, doubling over.

"Max?" He was at her side in an instant, one hand on her back and the other on her arm. "Max, what's wrong?"

She gripped her head but didn't answer. It felt like it was going to explode.

"Yo, Caulfield! _Max_!"

 

* * *

 

Max's head shot up and she gasped. "Whoa!" She looked around the classroom in shock. She was back in Jefferson's classroom, sitting at her seat. The bastard was standing there, giving a lecture like he hadn't just died an hour or so ago.

 _What the fuck is happening?_ Max thought. _Chloe killed him! Am I stuck in some kind of time loop_?

She watched as a paper ball was thrown at Kate, the same exact thing that had happened on the day she discovered she had powers.

A loud bang on the window made her jump. When she looked towards the window, she was horrified to see that a bunch of birds were flying towards the window and hit it so hard that they were splattering against it. Their blood soaked the windows. She had to stop herself from crying out at the sight.

_Wait, no one even cares? No one else in the room seems to even notice the birds. I must have really fucked up time this time..._

And then, just as she blinked, everyone was gone. The window's were clear of any blood.

She stood up from her seat and began to walk across the room. There was a blood stain on the table that Kate used to sit at, and despite her better judgement, she walked over to it. On the floor by the seat was a rolled up paper ball. She bent down and picked it up, opening it up.

_**Max, if you're reading this, it means you're DEAD.** _

_**-Mr. Jefferson, XOXO** _

"Not yet, you bastard," she growled. "You're the only one who's dead."

Max walked around the room, examining everything. The room seemed almost...demonic. Maybe that word was too much of an exaggeration, but she felt like she was in her own personal hell. She was just waiting for the walls to start dripping blood or something crazy like that.

"Max."

Max spun around and gasped.

"Jefferson-?"

The older man, with bloodshot eyes and a large bloody hole in his skull, grabbed Max by the throat and pushed her up against the wall.

 

* * *

 

Back in the real world, Nathan had Max in his arms and was carrying her out to the car.

"Hold on, Max," he said, voice cracking and heart pounding. "Almost there."

Chloe and Warren were standing outside, leaning against Chloe's truck and talking about whatever. Chloe looked up when she heard Nathan approach, and then saw the panic all over his face and Max in his arms.

"She passed out again?" She rushed over to Nathan and put a hand on Max's forehead, brushing her bangs from her face.

"She just dropped," he said with a shaky voice. "I don't know what the fuck happened. She was fine right before-"

"This happened before," Chloe assured him. "She'll be fine. She'll wake up soon enough."

Nathan didn't look convinced.

"We have to get to the lighthouse before it's too late," Chloe pushed. He cursed under his breath but nodded and they made their way back to Chloe's truck.

Warren had overheard Chloe and Nathan and didn't bother to ask any questions about Max. All he cared about was that she was going to be ok, and Chloe said that she would be.

"I'll follow behind you guys in my own car," he said, digging out his keys.

Chloe snorted and snatched them from his hand. "You are not driving."

"What? Why not? I'm sober now."

"And hungover," she countered.

"But-"

Nathan growled. "Stop fucking arguing. I'll drive your car."

Warren didn't like that idea. "No, thanks."

"Listen, asshole, you can ride with me," the other boy snapped. "Max can go with Chloe."

"Great," Chloe said quickly. "Now that that's settled, can we go?"

Warren and Nathan managed to get Max in the truck. Of course, not without the girl taking a bump on the head, thanks to Warren accidentally hitting her head on the door when they put her in. It earned him a deadly glare from Nathan. After that was finished, Chloe handed Warren's keys to Nathan and the two boys got in his car. Warren went straight for the drivers seat, thinking he could pull one over Nathan for some stupid reason, but the older boy grabbed his shoulder and roughly shoved him towards the passenger side.

"Nice try," Nathan said dryly, getting into the car.

Warren glared at him but didn't argue as he also got in the car. Nathan turned on the car and as soon as Chloe took off, he followed behind her.

The ride to the lighthouse was filled with tension. Nathan's hands were clenched on the steering wheel and there was a hard expression on his face as he drove through the storm.

 _Maybe it's a good thing I'm not the one driving_ , Warren thought as he watched the rain pound against the window, the wind so strong that it was sending things on the street flying.

"Jesus...this really is the end," Warren murmured to himself.

Nathan heard him and snorted. "Yeah, no shit, Graham."

Warren didn't reply for a moment, internally debating on whether or not to bring up the subject of Nathan and Max. Max had already talked to him about it, and he had saw them back there in the dark room. It had flared jealousy inside of him, and it was a good thing that he wasn't drunk enough to start something right then and there.

All he ever wanted was for Max to be his, but instead she had chosen Nathan Prescott. And no, he didn't hate her for it and he would never let her see his disappointment. If there was anyone he hated, it was the asshole sitting next to him.

"What's your problem, Graham?" Nathan grunted, glancing over at him.

Warren shook himself out of his thoughts. "What?"

"You were just glaring at me for, like, a whole minute. You got something to say?" Nathan's voice wasn't exactly hostile...More like calm but on the verge of _being_ hostile.

"Nothing," Warren said quickly, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted to say. "It's just, uh..." He scrambled for something to say, but his mind was still slightly foggy.

"You clearly have something to say." Nathan winced as a small tree branch flew across the street, nearly hitting the car. "You may as well say it now before a fucking tree branch impales us."

Warren sighed. "It's just...you and Max..."

"Jealous?" Nathan grinned.

"No," Warren snapped back, but it wasn't very convincing.

"It's fine if you are. If I had a huge boner for a girl and she chose another dude over me, I'd be jealous, too."

 _Don't let him get to you, Warren_ , Warren thought. _Just remain calm. You don't want to cause an accident._

"You're an asshole." He couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth.

Nathan shrugged. "Never said I wasn't."

That only pissed Warren off more.

"Then why are you with her?" He hissed. "The last person Max needs in her life is you. You'll hurt her. I know you will."

Nathan chuckled darkly under his breath. "Bro, we're not even together and no one fucking said we will be. I like her, she likes me, bur that's it right now. I'm fucked up and I know she deserves better but she doesn't seem to get that."

Warren scoffed. "If you know you're gonna end up hurting her, than be a man and just...go."

"I can't go anywhere right now, can I?" Nathan shot back. "Christ, you're annoying."

The younger boy slumped back against his seat with a scowl on his face. "It just...doesn't seem right, man. The thought that there's a chance you two might get together at some point..."

"Chloe's cool with it, and she hated me even more than you do," Nathan replied.

"Yeah, well..." Warren's voice trailed off, not having an answer. Chloe did seem to trust Nathan and his relationship with Max. And she knew Max better than anyone. If she was cool with it...maybe he should try and be. Or at least make an attempt to understand it.

"Yeah. I know." Nathan rolled his eyes. "Look, man, I get it. She's your best friend. You're looking out for her. Trust me, if this was you and...Victoria, I'd probably rip you a new one." He smirked. "Not that she would ever go for you."

"Dick." Warren grumbled.

"Just stating the facts."

Warren shot daggers at Nathan and, sticking his foot in his mouth, said, "Victoria was in the same position as me, wasn't she? I mean, she was in love with you, after all. How did she react when she found out about you and Max? What, did you hurt her, too?"

He had known about the relationship Nathan and Victoria had--if the moans he had heard a few times coming from Nathan's room was anything to go by. And he was a movie geek. He's seen a few romance movies here and there. He knew just by the way Victoria looked at Nathan and hung all over him that she was clearly in love with him.

Nathan felt like someone had punched him in the gut. The smug expression on his face had fallen and was replaced with sorrow and anger. Warren immediately realized he fucked up.

"Don't ever..." Nathan snarled, voice trembling. "Don't fucking talk about her to me. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I swear to fucking God, Graham, if you ever bring her up like that again-"

"Okay, okay!" Warren said quickly. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I...I get how hard it must have been to lose her like that. I don't know what I would do if I lost Max."

"Then let's both pray to fuck that we don't have to find out," Nathan said dryly, relaxing a little bit.

Warren made a small noise of agreement and the conversation ceased. The rest of the ride was silent but no longer tense, which Warren was grateful for. He just wanted to get the fuck out of the car. He wanted this all to be over.

"We're here," Nathan sighed, pulling up beside Chloe. He shut off the car and leaned back against the seat, suddenly looking very nervous.

"Uh, you ok?" Warren couldn't help but ask.

Nathan ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, tipping his head back against the seat.

"As soon as Max wakes up, she's gonna have to make a choice," he said in a low voice. "And I don't know about you, but I'm actually fucking terrified about what choice she's gonna make."

Warren nodded. He was beginning to feel the same way.

"What choice do you think she'll make?" He asked quietly.

Nathan let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know...but either one is gonna suck."

"...Yeah. We're either gonna lose the town and our friends and family, or Chloe's going to die and you'll...you'll, like, be in jail."

Nathan didn't answer him and continued to sit there with his eyes closed, breathing in deeply through his nostrils. Warren got the feeling that the boy wanted to be alone for a minute, and quietly got out of the car.

"What'd you do to him?" Chloe asked teasingly when she was out of the truck, nodding at Nathan.

Warren shook his head. "He's just nervous about what's gonna happen--just like the rest of us."

Chloe's face fell slightly. "Oh...right." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head to look at Max, who was still unconscious. "At least we have a little bit of time before she wakes up. I hope."

 

* * *

 

  
Max stood there, paralyzed with fear.

"No!" She choked out. "No!"

The hand around her throat tightened.

"You're mine, Maxine," Jefferson snarled darkly. "Not Nathan's, not Warren's, not that punk slut--mine."

_This has to be a nightmare. Come on, Max, wake up!_

She kicked at him, but it didn't seem to do anything. He grinned at her and blood trickled from his mouth as he did so.

"You can't escape me, Max. You will always. Be. Mine." He slammed her back against the wall and she screamed in fear and pain. It was a miracle she could even do that, as his hand was getting tighter and tighter around her throat. His hand felt strong, strong enough that he could probably snap her neck if he wanted to.

Her eyes slammed shut as she waited to die. Something told her that dying wouldn't help her wake up.

"Leave her alone!"

Suddenly Jefferson was being shoved away from Max. He stumbled backwards and glared at the person who shoved him.

"Rachel," he growled.

Max's eyes widened. Rachel Amber was standing in front of her, back turned to her. She wore the same outfit Max had borrowed from her the day after she and Chloe had broken into the school. Rachel's whole body was tense, fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"R...Rachel?" Max gasped.

The blonde glanced at Max quickly over her shoulder and gave her a gentle smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Max," she said sweetly. "Give me one second and then we can talk." She turned back to Jefferson. "Get the hell out of here, asshole. Go."

Jefferson made a step forward and Rachel held out an arm in front of Max as if to shield her from him.

"Head towards the door," she instructed, never taking her eyes off the man.

Max obeyed and began to back away carefully, watching as Jefferson came closer and closer to them.

She almost felt like she was back in the dark room.

Finally she felt the door against her back and she reached behind her to open it.

Jefferson let out a yell of rage and lunged at Rachel.

"No!" Max grabbed Rachel's shirt and pulled them both through the door right before Jefferson could get them. Rachel slammed the door shut behind them, just as Jefferson screamed, "Get back here!"

"Jesus," Max breathed.

Rachel stared at the door for a minute, making sure Jefferson wasn't going to follow them, and then turned to Max.

"Are you okay?" She asked, tone serious.

Max gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "I...I guess. What was that? Am I having a nightmare?"

Rachel paused for a moment, thinking about Max's words.

"Yes and no," she answered. "This is a nightmare, yes, but it's also real--in a way. If anything happens to you here, it'll effect you in real life."

Max took in the words.

"So...if I...died here...I would die in real life?" Max said slowly.

Rachel nodded sympathetically.

"Then I guess it's good that you were here to save me...Thank you."

"You're welcome," Rachel smiled. "I guess there's no need for introductions.

"Yeah..." Max laughed. Then she paused. "Wait, how do you know me?"

A sad look passed over Rachel's face but she quickly composed herself.

"I've been watching you and Chloe...and Nathan," she admitted. "I know it sounds creepy, but..."

"So...you're like a spirit?"

A wry smile made its way to Rachel's lips. "I'm the Doe."

Max sucked in a breath. "Oh..." In a way, it made sense. Max had told Chloe how she felt like Rachel was leading them to her, how the girls presence was strong.

As if reading her mind, Rachel said, "I tried to help you and Chloe find the truth, but I guess Nathan beat me to it."

Nathan. Max would have to tread carefully. She didn't know how Rachel felt about Nathan now.

"Rachel..." She said gently, "he didn't mean to...Jefferson was using him..."

Rachel held up a hand. "I know, Max. It's not 100% his fault. I know how terrible he feels about the whole thing. I'm not mad at him...not anymore, at least."

"You're not?" Max felt relieved.

"No. If anything, I feel bad for him. I can't imagine going through what Jefferson put him through. And I know Nathan's not completely blameless, but I also get how Jefferson fucked with his mind." Rachel looked past Max and frowned.

Max turned to look at what she was staring at and her eyebrows drew together. Now they were standing in the girls dorm.

"What is happening?" She asked out loud. She knew this was some kind of nightmare, but this was just bizarre.

Then again, when did nightmares ever truly make sense?

She felt Rachel's hand slip into hers and she looked up at the girl questioningly.

"Come on," Rachel said quietly, "let's get this over with."

"What do I have to do?"

"Just follow me...and don't get yourself killed." And then Rachel began to walk down the hall. Max scurried to follow her.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

Rachel pointed to a figure down the hall who was bending down and crying in front of Kate's door. As they got closer, Max saw that it was Kate.

"Kate..." Max breathed. Why was Kate in her nightmare? Kate was safe in the hospital. Kate was alive.

Kate looked up at Max, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Max," she whispered.

A lump formed in Max's throat. "For what?"

Kate didn't answer her. She stood up slowly, gave Max one last sorrowful look, and then opened the door to her dorm. There was a bright light that made Max shield her eyes, and then Kate was gone.

Max gasped and rushed forward, but Rachel held out an arm to stop her.

"She's fine," Rachel said. "She's technically not even really here, remember?" She patted Max on the shoulder and turned back around to walk away. This time Max didn't ask any questions and followed behind her in silence.

 

* * *

 

Chloe sat on the bench by the lighthouse, Max's head laying on her lap. Warren was staring out at the tornado that was slowly making its way towards the town, while Nathan paced back and forth, getting more and more impatient by the minute.

"When is she going to wake up?" He stressed.

Chloe shrugged, just as exhausted as the rest of them. "I don't know. Soon." 

Nathan let out a frustrated grunt.

"Would you stop pacing back and forth like a fucking maniac?" Chloe snapped. "You're making me even more anxious."

"Oh, hop off my dick," Nathan shot back. "Sorry if I'm kinda freaking the fuck out right now."

"We all are, asshole. Don't you think I would be doing something to fix all this if I could? My mother is trapped in a fucking diner down there." Her eyes narrowed. "You actually have it kind of easy, Prescott. You and your father hate one another, Victoria is already dead, and I'm sure you have enough money in your bank account to go anywhere you want if this town got destroyed."

Nathan growled and took a step towards her, fists clenched.

Warren rushed forward and stood between Chloe and Nathan, putting a hand up.

"Stop!" He cried. "This isn't helping. Don't start fighting again."

Nathan exhaled sharply, realizing what he would have just done if Warren hadn't stepped in. He looked at Chloe and felt his stomach churn as her expression softened and she looked back at him with guilt in her eyes. He didn't want her to feel guilty. He didn't want her to apologize to him, even if her words did slightly hurt him. For fucks sake--he was just about to hit her!

He turned away from them. "Who's fighting?" He chuckled darkly before walking to stand at the edge of the cliff. He looked down at the ground below and felt his heart begin to race.

Fuck, it would be so easy for him to jump off. Just a step forward and-

 _No!_ His mind shouted at him. _Don't even fucking think about it, Prescott._

"Nathan?" Chloe said hesitantly, gently moving Max so she could stand up. She ignored the worried and confused look on Warren's face and slowly walked towards Nathan, as if he were a deer she didn't want to scare off.

"I think I need my meds," he croaked, heart pounding in his ears. He hadn't thought about suicide nor tried to make a suicide attempt in a while. Usually his medication somewhat helped him--if he took it when he was supposed to, that is.

"Just--don't jump, okay? Come on, dude. What will Max do when she wakes up and finds out you threw yourself off a fucking cliff?" Chloe was close to him now, hand slowly reaching out to grab him if he tried to go through with it.

"I'm not gonna jump," he said harshly, voice shaking. "Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that until you're not standing on the edge of the cliff."

Nathan turned his head around and gave Chloe a look of disbelief.

"Why do you care so much all of a sudden?" He asked.

Chloe gave a half-shrug. "Maybe because I know it'll hurt Max? Or maybe I actually just don't want to see you kill yourself. I don't know. But what I do know is that you're a dumbass if you think I'm going to let you do this."

Nathan was silent as he took in her words.

"I already said I wasn't going to," he finally replied, almost stubbornly.

"Then back away from the edge," Chloe challenged.

"Give me a fucking second!" He shot Chloe a dirty look (even though deep down he was grateful she had stepped in) and cast one last look back down at the rocks below them. He shook his head and then turned back around, walking past Chloe and refusing to look at her. He didn't want to see the pity in her eyes. He wouldn't be able to stand it.

* * *

 

  
After going through multiple doors, and much to Max's dismay, ending up in Victoria's body (which Rachel had a good laugh over), they finally ended up back in the school hallway.

"Great," Max groaned, only her words came out backwards. Her eyes widened. "Uh..."

 _Awesome. Now I'm talking like I'm in The Sims,_ she thought. Even her thoughts were coming out backwards.

Rachel couldn't help herself and giggled. "Come on, Max. Let's get out this place." Of course Max couldn't understand a word she was saying, but she just nodded and followed Rachel.

The two walked in silence down the hall. It almost felt unreal as Max watched everyone interacting around her, doing the exact same thing they had been doing the day she discovered her powers.

Max wanted to ask Rachel where she was taking her, but as soon as the bathroom came into view, she knew.

They went through the door, and suddenly they were inside some kind of room with white walls and paintings.

"Is this...is this an art gallery?" Max asked, and luckily none of words were coming out backwards anymore.

Rachel nodded.

"You seem to know a lot about what's happening," Max commented.

"That happens when you've been stuck on the other side for six months," Rachel replied dryly.

Max made a small noise of agreement and went quiet.

"Be careful," Rachel warned. "This place is even more dangerous."

Awesome. "I'll be careful."

They began to walk through what Max was starting to realize was some kind of scary maze, as quietly and carefully as they could be.

 _"Don't try to hide, girls!"_ Max heard Jefferson suddenly call. _"Get over here...Let me capture you."_

Max froze and she let out a small gasp when she saw Jefferson walking around with a flashlight in his hand, clearly on the hunt for them. Her gasp wasn't very quiet, and Jefferson immediately aimed his flashlight towards where they were. It wasn't exactly aimed right at them, but close enough.

Rachel covered Max's mouth with her hand and forced her to stand still as they waited.

 _"I can't believe you let that slut murder me in cold blood,_ " the man growled before turning away from them.

Rachel breathed out in relief and released Max.

"You have to be very quiet here," she whispered, just loud enough so only Max could hear her. "If any of them find us..."

 _Wait, what?_ "Any of them?"

"Jefferson isn't the only danger here, Max."

Max's heart plummeted at that. Why was she even here? Why couldn't she just wake up from this nightmare?

"Then we'd better get a move on," she said, trying to keep her voice strong. She didn't want Rachel to think she was weak, because she wasn't. She could handle this. She just didn't want to. She wanted to get back to Nathan and Chloe and Warren. What if the town was being destroyed right at this moment and she didn't even know it because she was trapped here?

Rachel nudged her. "Come on."

It was difficult trying to get through...whatever this was. Jefferson nearly caught them a few times, and he kept shouting creepy things that had chills running up Max's spine. But they finally made it out of there, and as soon as they stepped out of the maze, Max could hear Principal Wells' voice.

 _"Excuse me, can everybody hear me?"_ As the two stepped closer, Max could see that it was a statue of Wells talking and not the actual man. _"If you know the whereabouts of Miss Caulfield, please tie her up and inform me or David Madsen. She's wanted for the death of Chloe Price and Nathan Prescott. Thank you."_

Max stiffened for a moment, but tried not to let the words get to her. She had to keep her cool, keep calm. Otherwise she would never be able to leave.

There were lights spinning around and a circle of large posters surrounded the statue. Max could see that one poster was a picture of Kate, all tied up and drugged, and the other one was of Rachel. She glanced over at the girl for any type of reaction. Rachel's jaw was clenched and her eyes were hard and angry.

"Fucker," the girl spat. That was all she said about it before turning to Max. "We need to avoid the light. Like Jefferson's flashlight."

" _Will Max Caulfield please come to the Dark Room immediately. I repeat, Max Caulfield to the Dark Room...now_!"

Max nodded and, without warning, Rachel grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled Max over to hide behind one of the posters right before the light hit them, causing Max to nearly trip over her own feet.

"Sorry," Rachel apologized.

"No, it's...it's fine. Thanks. I don't know why you keep helping me, but..." Max didn't want to sound ungrateful, so she quickly added, "not that I'm not happy you're here helping me...I just...I don't know."

Rachel looked around the area, checking to make sure no one was coming after them.

"You're Chloe's best friend," she finally answered simply. "And you're a good person, Max Caulfield. You never stopped trying to help Nathan, even though you knew about the things he did. And you did everything to help Chloe find out the truth about me."

Max looked down at her feet. "But I had already known. I lied to Chloe the entire time."

"Yes," Rachel agreed, "but it came from a good place. And even if you hadn't known, it wouldn't have changed anything."

Max couldn't disagree with that.

" _Attention_." Wells again. _"I regret to announce_ _that one of your fellow classmates, Maxine Caulfield, has died under tragic circumstances that I promise to investigate after I get my drink on."_

Rachel let out a snort of laughter, and Max did the same.

"We really need to get out of here," the blond said, to which Max nodded in agreement. The conversation would have to be finished later.

Getting out of there wasn't as hard as Max was expecting. Rachel took the lead, and Max let her. She trusted Rachel to get her out of this alive. Soon they found themselves standing in the "locker room," and Max felt her heart drop when she saw that it was Warren who was after her this time.

 _"Max...Where are you?"_ He called out to her in a voice that terrified Max. " _Come out to play...Come out to play...!"_

"Jesus," Rachel muttered under her breath. "He's your best friend, isn't he?"

All Max could do was nod. Jefferson and Wells had been bad enough, but Warren being the one trying to kill her now? This was fucked up on an entirely new level.

" _So, that's how it is, huh? You chose Nathan Prescott over everyone else. That fucking psycho!"_

"Don't listen to him," Rachel said softly to Max, thinking that the other girl needed to hear it. "That's not really him. Remember that."

"I know..." _But that doesn't make this any easier._

_"Ape, Ape, Ape, who wants to 'Go Ape'? Go Ape! Go Ape! Ape! Ape!!"_

"The lighthouse is over there," Max gasped. "We'll be safe there. I know we will."

Rachel's eyebrows furrowed. "How can you be so sure?"

"Every time I blacked out, I saw the lighthouse. The first day I discovered my powers, I was dreaming about it. It's where I told Chloe and Nathan and Warren to go to protect themselves from the storm. It has to help us here." _It has to._

The other girl seemed a bit reluctant, as if she didn't want to chance it, but finally she sighed and nodded.

They snuck through the locker room, this time it being even more difficult because suddenly Wells was there, saying how Kate should have jumped off the roof and he could blame it on Max.

It only got worse as they went along.

_"How can I tell Max's parents that she's a nosy little bitch? I knew I should have given that scholarship to Victoria instead of Max. Miss Price can't just show up at Blackwell in a wheelchair and think we're going to accommodate her every whim. I wish I could press a button and blow this whole fucking school up."_

_"Too bad you didn't become friends with the Tobanga_." Shit...now Samuel was here? _"The squirrels hate you...and they're hungry. Samuel wants to make sure you never snoop around his room again. Come over here, young Max...You're my spirit animal."_

And then Max nearly reached her breaking point when she heard Nathan's voice.

" _Hey, bitch. You can get me suspended, but you can't escape."_

Rachel saw the look on Max's face and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's okay, Max. We're almost out of here."

_"Did you really think I meant it when I said I felt the same way about you? I will always hate you Max."_

_Almost through. Almost through. Just follow Rachel, Max, and stop letting this shit get to you!_

They nearly bumped into David Madsen, who Rachel glared at and gave him the finger behind his back. He turned around then, and this time it was Max who saved Rachel's life by pulling the girl behind a locker at the last second.

"... _you just use your power to cheat at life,"_ David was growling, " _and cheat your friends out of life."_

 _That's not true_! Max wanted to scream. _I was trying to save them all! I still am!_

_"Hey, Max...Pretty fucking ironic that I ended up being right about everything, and you ended up destroying the town!"_

Rachel tugged on her arm. "You have to keep moving, Max."

"Right," Max croaked.

" _You thought I was harassing Kate, but I was helping her! What the hell did you do for her?"_

_I stopped her from jumping off that roof...when maybe she didn't even really want to be saved._

Max didn't even realize her and Rachel were out of the locker room and now at the junkyard with Frank. She did her best to tune the rest of it all out, allowing Rachel to practically pull her along the rest of the way. She could see the sad look on the girls face when they saw Frank, but Rachel quickly composed herself and kept moving. Max didn't know how she did it, how she could be so strong. Not that she wasn't strong, but this whole thing was starting to take a toll on her, and she wasn't nearly as strong as Rachel.

 _But Rachel said she's been through something like this before_ , Max reminded herself.

 _"If only you could have seen Rachel."_ Jefferson again. " _My blood spattered angel_..."

" _Oh, man, Rachel looked just like a zombie model in the dirt...Just bone, meat and maggots,_ " Nathan chimed in. _"I would be all over that shit. You want to take pictures?_ "

And then it was over.

As soon as they were away from them all and it was safe, Rachel pulled Max down to sit on a bench that was out there.

"Are you okay?" She asked Max, concerned.

Max stared down at her lap. "I...No. No, I'm not."

"That was hell, and I know it was hard to hear all those things...But you know none of what they were saying is true, right? It's all part of the nightmare."

Max did know that, but a part of her couldn't help but wonder if what they were saying was actually how they felt. But she didn't want Rachel to worry about her any more than she already was, so she just nodded.

"Good," Rachel sighed in relief. "At least we can catch a break for a second."

As soon as she said that, snow began to fall.

"Or not," she frowned.

Max blinked, and then she and Rachel were staring out into Chloe's living room, everything looking so huge in front of them. It took Max a minute to realize that they were now stuck in a snow globe.

 _"Don't you dare question the chef_ ," Max heard William's voice, slightly muffled.

" _Right,_ " Chloe snorted, _"like you're the real cook here."_

_"I am when your mom is away."_

_"I'll let her know that."_

"So that's William," Rachel murmured.

"Yeah," Max replied softy.

"I...I wish I could have gotten the chance to meet him. He was so important to Chloe."

"He was."

The phone began to ring, and Max immediately knew what was coming next.

"Hello?" William answered the phone. " _Hey, honey...just making a fabulous breakfast with Chloe and Max. We're all going to work at the Two Whales...What? Oh, I didn't know that you had to get groceries. Of course I'll come pick you up. Now I have an excuse to get a mocha. Be there shortly. L_ ove you."

"So this is how it happened?" Rachel looked towards Max for confirmation.

"Yeah..." Max sighed and rubbed her eyes. God, all she wanted to do was be back in the real world. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. "Please tell me I'll be out of here soon. For good."

Rachel patted Max's hand between them. "I hope so, Max. Trust me, I'm trying to get you out of here."

"And I'm so grateful for that, Rachel. I really am. But I don't know what I'll do if things get worse."

"They might not," Rachel shrugged. "But then again, they might. I don't know, Max. I may be taking the lead, but this is your nightmare. I'm just here to help you fight this."

"And what if I can't fight any longer?" The words came out of Max's mouth before she could help herself and they surprised her. Since when was she this weak? She's already been through hell. Why was this so much different?

For a second she was nervous of what Rachel would think of her, considering the other girl has already been through her own hell. Rachel probably had been scared like Max was and drained, but she had beaten it, hadn't she? Now she was here to help Max, putting herself back in this hell, and damn it, Max needed to be stronger than this.

But Rachel gave her an understand smile. She always seemed to be understanding. If Max had no idea what Chloe saw in Rachel before, she sure as hell did now.

"Then I'll fight for you, Max. I'm not letting you give up now. You have too much to live for."

Images of Nathan, Chloe, Warren and her parents flashed through her mind. Nathan's feelings for her, Chloe's love and friendship, Warren always so willing to be there for her and help her with anything she needs, the strong love her parents had for her and how much they were always willing to sacrifice for her happiness...Yes, she did have too much to live for. And she was going to fight until she made it out of here alive. She would see her family and friends again. She would make sure of it.

"Well," she said after a moment of silence, "then I guess it's time to find out what nightmare is coming next so we can kick its ass. And then we're getting the fuck out of here."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally had no idea where to end the chapter, so sorry if the ending was erupt.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading! Like I said, expect the next chapter tomorrow or Tuesday. It was already finished, but there are some changes I want to make.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm an asshole.
> 
> I'm so sorry for how late this is. It was not my intention. Long story that I will spare you guys of.
> 
> But anyway, here is the chapter you have all been waiting so patiently for. This chapter totally kicked my ass, but I got through it. Now I am celebrating by going to bed :)
> 
> Thank you so much for all the support you've all given me. It means so much to me <3 Do I dare say I don't plan on another hiatus? Because I honestly don't, unless life gets in the way again. I already have a start on chapter 21, so I'm crossing my fingers I can just finish it in peace. 
> 
> The song used in this chapter is "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. Enjoy!

  
Nathan found half a joint in Chloe's car.

He probably shouldn't have lit it up, not at a time like this. It wasn't even his, and he was only in her truck so he could calm himself down for a few minutes. But he was so fucking stressed and on the verge of freaking out, so any rational thought he had had flown out the window the minute he spotted it.

_She'll probably kick my ass for it, but...who gives a fuck at this point?_ He dug a lighter out of his pocket and brought it up to the joint. He inhaled even more heavily than usual, and the smoke made his lungs burn. He coughed wildly for a second, something he hasn't done since he first started smoking, and then controlled himself and took another hit.

He was gone in minutes--eyes heavy and red, giggling at nothing but everything was just so _funny_.

The truck was filled with smoke, and he knew that he would reek of marijuana as soon as he went back over-

Chloe pounded on the window.

Nathan jumped and nearly dropped the joint. Embarrassingly enough, it took him a minute too long to remember how to roll down the window.

"Yo." He couldn't stop the stupid grin from spreading across his face. There was something hilarious about the way she was glaring at him.

"That better not be my joint," she snapped.

Nathan glanced at the joint and then back at her. "Uh..."

"Move over." Chloe opened the door and nudged Nathan until he was over by the passenger side, then got in herself and took the joint from him. He watched lazily as she brought the joint to her lips and took a hit, closing her eyes. She slumped down in her seat and sighed.

"We really shouldn't be smoking weed right now," she said. "But this is exactly what I need at a time like this."

He nodded. "I feel that."

"Warren's with Max, so at least she's not alone."

As if on cue, Warren appeared.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked, judgement in his eyes.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be with Max?" Nathan said, though the way he said it made it sound like he was pretty confused.

Warren rolled his eyes. "I was with Max before I saw you guys. Seriously... _Now_?"

Nathan took the joint back from Chloe and purposely held Warren's stare as he took a pull. Then he held it out to him.

"Either take a hit or fuck off, Graham."

Warren scoffed and shook his head before stomping off.

Nathan caught the guilty look on Chloe's face and nudged her. "He'll get over it."

"He's right, though."

"Who gives a fuck? Dude, the town is either about to burn to the fucking ground, or Max is gonna go back in time." He held the joint up. "So if we wanna smoke one last fucking time, then so be it." Without waiting for her reply, he forcefully handed her the joint. "Smoke up, sweetheart."

Chloe's face wrinkled when he said _sweetheart_. "Dude, how high are you?"

He laughed. "High? I'm fucking stoned. Now, come on. We're about to get high together for the first time. I don't think God himself saw this shit coming."

 

* * *

 

  
When Max opened her eyes, she was back in the Dark Room, hands and feet duck-taped to the chair again, and she was in her pajama's.

_How long will this nightmare go on?_ She thought desperately. _And where is Rachel?_ She looked around the room, but the girl wasn't there. _Did we get separated somehow? Or did Rachel leave...?_

No. Rachel wasn't like that. They must have just gotten separated. Rachel would find her again...she hoped.

_"I think you'd be perfect for my new photo series on retro-grunge.."_

Max jumped at Jefferson's voice. Shit! Not again! But this time, he wasn't paying any attention to her. His focus was on Chloe, who was standing in front of him, posing while giving Max dark looks.

_He's taking pictures of her...Why is he taking pictures of Chloe? What's going on now?_

_"You have the same qualities that I loved in Rachel Amber...but not Max..."_ He continued, the shutter of his camera going off multiple times.

_"Max is a fucking child,"_ Chloe said in a bored tone.

_"Oh Christ, I know...and she never shuts up, does she?"_

_I'm sitting right here!_ Max wanted to shout, but she could only sit there and watch as Jefferson and her best friend trashed her.

Chloe gave a small smirk that had chills running down Max's spine. _"I'm so over her hipster bullshit."_

_"I think everyone at Blackwell is over Max,"_ Jefferson agreed. _"Let's prove it."_

They were gone in a literal flash, and now it was Nathan and Warren who were standing there.

" _Christ_ ," Nathan laughed, _"why the fuck were you ever into Max? She's such a fucking loser--and a slut. She was all over me that night in her dorm room. She thinks she's so smart and has everything figured out. And she honestly thinks I'm into her. I can't fucking stand her."_

_"She threw herself at you in her dorm room? How long did she know you for? Like, a few days? Fucking whore."_ Warren shook his head in disgust. _"I guess she's not as innocent as she acts. I can't believe I ever liked her."_

And though Max knew this wasn't real, it still felt like someone had delivered a blow to her stomach.

Suddenly, there was another flash, and now she was looking at Nathan and Chloe. She needed to get out of here--fast.

" _Goddamn, you are a sexy bitch_ ," Nathan growled to Chloe, eyes raking her body. " _Why Max, huh? I'd much rather have you_."

" _I don't blame you_ ," Chloe chuckled. _"Max is like my personal puppet_."

_"I hear that. Do you want to party? I've got a drugstore in my room."_

A lump formed in Max's throat.

Chloe laughed. " _Oh shit! Look at Max spying on us...Take a fucking picture, bitch!"_ She spat. _"Or take a selfie..."_

Another flash. Chloe dancing on the table in her underwear, mocking Max.

Another flash. Victoria sitting on Nathan's lap, running her fingers up his chest while he looked at her with a satisfied smirk on his face.

_"You should have picked me, Nathan,_ " Victoria whined, _"not Max. She is such a little virgin. And she looks like she's fucking twelve."_

" _You're right_." Nathan leaned closer to Victoria's face. _"I should have picked you. You're ten times sexier than she'll ever be...God, she's so fucking lame."_ His lips connected with Victoria's then. Max looked away, feeling sick but relieved when that was over.

Now Chloe was in front of her again--the Chloe who Max royally screwed over when she fucked up time and found herself in an alternate reality. Chloe who was sitting in a wheelchair, paralyzed and broken.

" _Why did you get rewind powers_?" Chloe asked her. _"You don't even know how to use them." **Well, she's not entirely wrong about that**. "Rachel's dead and you're still alive. **Yeah, but maybe not for long.** "Life is so not fair." **I know, Chloe...Trust me, I know.**_

Normal Chloe was standing right in front of her now, a camera in her hand.

_Jesus...How long is this gonna go on for_? Max thought. _How much abuse am I suppose to be able to take? Where is Rachel?_

_"I wish you would have never come back to Arcadia Bay,_ " Chloe hissed. " _You're the real storm."_

And then it was finally over. Another flash, and Max was now in some dirty bathroom, and Rachel was there, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Rachel!" Max gasped. "What--what happened to you? Where were you?"

"I was here, waiting for you," Rachel answered. "Are you okay?"

Max let out a huff of disbelief. "No, I'm not okay. I just had to sit in the Dark Room for fucking forever just...just watching while the people I care about completely bash me. I mean...that was horrible."

Rachel nodded and pushed herself off the wall, coming to place a hand on Max's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you alone, Max," she apologized, guilt in her eyes. "But I felt like that was something you needed to go through on your own. I know it sounds stupid," Rachel added when Max opened her mouth to say something. "I know you don't get it now, but...you needed to see all of that."

There were so many questions Max wanted to ask. Why did she need to see all of that shit? What was the purpose of it all? Had Rachel gone through the same thing?

But Rachel didn't look like she was in any kind of mood to be bombarded with questions right now. There was some kind of nervous and sad look on her face.

"Rachel, what's wrong?" Max asked, eyebrows drawing together in concern.

"It's nothing."

"Then why do you look-?"

"I said it's nothing, Max." Rachel snapped at her for the first time, and Max took a step back.

Rachel took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just..." She put one hand on her forehead. "We're getting really close to getting you out of here."

So? Wasn't that the point? Max gave Rachel a questioning look, but the other girl adverted her eyes.

_Maybe she's afraid of being alone again_. Guilt stabbed at Max. _That has to be it. As soon as I'm gone, she'll be all alone. God, that's horrible. I can't even imagine being stuck here alone forever._

"Rachel..." She had no idea what to say. There was really nothing she could say to comfort the girl right now. "Is...There's no way you can come back with me?"

Rachel chuckled without humor and gave Max a look. "I'm dead, Max. I have no body to come back to. And it doesn't work that way, anyway."

"Right...Sorry." _Well, I feel like the worlds biggest moron now._

"Let's just go." Rachel turned around, quickly entered a code to the door, and left without even waiting for Max this time.

* * *

 

"Hey..." Chloe said to Nathan, the side of her head resting on the palm of her hand. "If Max does choose to sacrifice the town...where do you think we'd go?"

Nathan didn't answer, putting all his focus into looking for his pack of cigarettes that he couldn't remember if he had on him or not. Chloe rolled her eyes and leaned over to open the compartment in front of him. She dug around for a moment before pulling out a cigarette that had been in there for God-knows-how-long, and offered it to him silently.

"Thanks," he grumbled, lighting the cigarette and leaned back against the seat.

"Well?" Chloe demanded. "Are you gonna answer my question or not?"

"Man, I don't even remember your question."

"I asked you where do you think we'd go if Max chooses to sacrifice the town."

Nathan blew out a cloud of smoke and shrugged. "Shit, man, I don't know...I really don't wanna fuck up my chill right now by thinking about this shit."

Chloe turned around in her seat to face him. "Too bad, Prescott. We need some kind of plan."

Nathan sighed, annoyed. "I mean, I have an aunt and uncle who live about five hours away from here. We could probably stay with them until we figure shit out."

"Max is gonna want to go back to her parents in Seattle," Chloe pointed out. "If she does, I'm going with her. I don't know if Warren's family lives here or somewhere else, but I'm guessing he'll tag along with me and Max."

"Do that, then," Nathan snapped. "See if I give a shit."

Chloe snorted. "Dude, do you think Max is just gonna leave you? She's gonna want you to come along too, dummy! And she's not gonna go if you don't, so...I would suggest just doing what she wants."

"A little too early to meet the parents, isn't it?"

"Look, where else are you gonna go? I know you said you have an aunt and uncle we could stay with for a day or two, but do you really want to live there and be away from Max?"

Nathan angrily flicked the ashes from his cigarette, nearly breaking it in half when he did so.

"Who said Max's parents are even gonna let all of us stay there?" He shot back.

"Well, they're not gonna turn away three teenagers with no place to go."

"Whatever. If anything, I'll just get a fucking hotel room somewhere near Max." He threw out the cigarette, not really enjoying it as much as he would have liked to and let out a frustrated sigh.

Chloe turned back around in her seat. "Whatever floats your boat, man. But just remember that your name is only famous around here. No one in Seattle--or anywhere else, for that matter--is going to care that you're a Prescott."

"Yeah. Whatever." Nathan's tone made it clear that he was done with the conversation. That was fine with her. She didn't like talking about it anymore than he did, but it was something they were going to have to face sooner or later, depending on Max's choice.

"If she doesn't wake up soon, the choice will be decided for her," she said quietly to herself. If Nathan heard her, he chose to remain quiet.

* * *

 

She was in the diner.

She was in the diner, and everyone she knew was there. Rachel was staring at everyone, biting her lip as she looked around at everyone she used to know. It was like one big party, except this was a fucking nightmare and Max knew that nothing good was about to happen.

_"Don't kill us, Max!"_ Someone cried.

She glanced to the side and saw Dana.

_"I guess I'll never dance again, Max,_ " the girl said sadly.

" _Right when I was about to start a new life in California_ ," a man sighed.

Max quickly went to stand next to Rachel, who was now staring at Frank and Pompidou. It took her a second to remember that Rachel and Frank had a thing at one point.

"Chloe killed them," Rachel said, but there was no anger in her voice.

"It was an accident. I tried to rewind-"

"I know," the girl cut her off. "I'm not mad or anything. There's no point in being mad anymore. What good will it do?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and walked away. Max followed her.

" _You can't let everyone die, Max,_ " Warren said softly. " _I thought you were better than that."_

" _Max, please, save us_ ," Juliet begged.

" _So this is how Max gets her revenge on."_ Someone said harshly.

" _Honey, I always thought of you like a daughter...And now you're gonna take me away...from my family. Why would you do that?_ " Joyce sobbed.

Tears welled up in Max's eyes.

_"I know I haven't been the best principal to you...but you've been the best everyday hero for us."_ Principal Wells.

" _Please, save us_ ," a girl whispered.

Max walked past them and stopped at the booth where Victoria and Nathan were sitting.

_"I wish we had been friends, Max_ ," Victoria said sweetly. " _It's too bad I'm already dead_."

" _Max, I've been a bastard to you--I know that,"_ Nathan said. " _But you gotta know that I care about you. And I don't wanna be selfish anymore. I don't want everyone else to suffer like me."_

"Over here, Max," Rachel said softly, motioning for Max to come stand with her. "You need to see this."

_Great, another thing I have to see_ , Max thought with a groan. But she did as Rachel said and went to stand by her.

And when she looked down to see who Rachel was looking at, her heart dropped. Because she was face to face with herself now--only this version of herself looked...evil. And angry.

"That's...that's me..." Max said, stupidly.

The other Max rolled her eyes. _"Holy shit--thank you, Miss Obvious. I'm you. I'm one of many Max's you left behind."_

Max glanced at Rachel and then back at her doppelgänger. Rachel didn't say a word.

_"I see you have help_ ," the other Max noted distastefully. " _I thought you didn't need help. You thought you could control everybody and everything. Twist time around your fingers?"_

The tears finally spilled down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away.

"I tried to help," she replied in a wobbly voice. "I only wanted to do the right thing."

_"No, you only wanted to be popular. And once you got these amazing powers, your big plan was to trick people into thinking you give a rat's ass."_

"I do care!" Max insisted. "That's why I was trying to make friends...That's why I was trying to help Nathan and Chloe..."

The other Max scoffed. " _Nathan and Chloe? Please. You played the both of them. You made Chloe think you were on her side the entire time, but the truth is that you hid everything from her. You wouldn't have even told her the truth if she hadn't overheard you."_

"I was going to tell Chloe! I was just-"

" _You have left behind a trail of death and suffering, Maxine_ ," her clone snarled. _"And you take no responsibility for anything. What about the crap that was your fault? Oh, wait, let me guess...You thought you were doing the right thing the entire time, so that makes it all okay, right? Chloe may say she forgives you, but-_ " There was a soft bang and she suddenly stiffened and rolled her eyes. " _Oh hell, speak of the devil."_

Max turned her head. Chloe was coming towards them.

"Chloe," she heard Rachel whisper from behind her.

Max wasn't sure what to expect in that moment. Was this Chloe going to hurl insults and harsh words at her, too? That didn't seem to be the case as this version of Chloe jumped into the booth, the same way she always did, and glared at the clone.

_"Dude, do not even fuck with her head!_ " She hissed. " _She knows what we went through together this week and you don't! There's no way you can break up our team! This is reality!"_

The clone didn't even seem fazed. _"Does that team consist of Nathan Prescott, too_?"

Chloe sat back against the seat and the corner of her mouth lifted up slightly. _"Yeah. Him and Warren. The four of us_."

And then it was all gone. The room just faded away and everything turned black.

"Rachel-" Max turned to the girl, worried. What was happening now?

Rachel smiled and moved closer to Max so she could take her hands in her own.

"This is it, Max," she said with a soft laugh. "You did it. You made it through. We just have to take a quick trip down memory lane, and then you'll be with everyone again."

" _After five years, you're still Max Caulfield_."

Max's eyes widened and she looked past Rachel. There was her and Chloe, sitting in Chloe's truck, and she staring down at her broken camera. Just like the very first day she and Chloe reunited.

_"I am seriously glad to see you_ ," she hears her voice say to Chloe.

" _Welcome home, Max. Fasten your seatbelt_."

Silently, Rachel grabbed her hand and started to pull her along. They walked a few steps before another memory came up. Her and Chloe in Chloe's bedroom, when Chloe gave her William's camera.

_"I, uh...know it was your birthday last month...This was my real father's camera...I want you to have it."_

_"Yes, of course it's cool! Thank you...This camera is so sweet!"_

_"Now that we got that mushy shit out of the way, I feel like stage diving! Let's thrash this place!"_

Rachel chuckled. "She always did love to dance."

_"Yep, yep! I'm fucking insane in the brain! Let's dance! Shake that bony white ass!"_

Then there was Chloe dancing on her bed while Max took her picture.

_"This song fucking rules! Can't dance, hippie? Come on! Rock out, girl!"_

Memory after memory popped up as her and Rachel walked down the path. Her telling Chloe about her powers, her and Chloe in the diner, the junkyard, the train tracks, breaking into the school...It was all there, right in front of her.

" _My powers might not last, Chloe."_

_"That's okay. We will--forever."_

Shit. How was she supposed to make a decision now? It was difficult before, but seeing all these memories of her and Chloe...It was even harder now, if that was even possible.

"Hey...how come my memories are of just me and Chloe?" She asked. She didn't mention Nathan's name, but she had a feeling Rachel understood what she was asking, anyway.

"Because this whole thing revolves around Chloe, Max," Rachel explained. "It's the butterfly effect. Chloe is the butterfly. You chose to go back in time and save her that day in the bathroom, and that set everything off." She gave Max a knowing look. "You have special memories that involve Nathan, too, Max. But Nathan isn't the one who needs to die in order to save the town. This is all about Chloe."

Max nodded and looked away, blushing.

"I guess that makes sense," she said.

Rachel rolled her eyes playfully. "Come on, Caulfield."

They continued to walk down the path, though they stopped multiple times so Max could watch a memory play out. Rachel was patient with her about it, which Max appreciated. Rachel seemed to get that she needed to see these memories. Though, when they got to the one where Chloe found out about Rachel and Frank and had come storming into the diner, Rachel walked straight on until she couldn't hear the memory and waited for Max. The memories seemed to get a bit darker as they got closer and closer to the end.

" _Come on, Max, wake up_ ," Max heard Chloe plead.

_"Can't we dump some water on her face or something_?" Nathan's voice.

_"I have a water bottle in my car_ ," Warren said.

Chloe, Warren, Nathan, all gathered around Max, looking down at her. Chloe's hand was on her shoulder, as if she were trying to shake Max awake.

They made it. After that long and horrible fucking nightmare, she and Rachel were here.

"We did it!" Max said excitedly, not being able to control herself and pulled Rachel into a tight hug.

The other girl laughed and hugged her back just as tightly. "No, you did it, Max. You were strong enough to make it through. You should be so proud of yourself."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't have gotten through this without you guiding me the entire time." Max pulled back to look Rachel in the eyes, needing the girl to understand how much she appreciated everything Rachel's done for her. "Seriously, Rachel...thank you."

Rachel's eyes were wet. "You're welcome, Max. You're a good person...And I know you'll make the most out of whatever choice you make."

All the excitement seemed to drain from Max's body and the smile on her face dropped.

"I...I don't know what to do," she whispered. And God, if she didn't wish with every fiber of her being that Rachel could help her, maybe even make the choice for her. It was childish, but she didn't care. She couldn't make this choice. It was impossible. There had to be a way she could keep the town and Chloe and Nathan. There wasn't, and she knew that. And she could feel the reality hitting her hard and so strongly.

For a moment, she wished she was trapped in this hell, because then she wouldn't have to face reality.

But this whole thing was her fault. There was no other way to see it. She made the decision to mess with fate and time, and she had to pay the consequences for it. It wasn't Chloe's fault, or Nathan's. It was hers. As grateful as Chloe was for having her life be saved multiple times, she didn't ask for Max to save her. No, she was just the best friend Max has known and loved practically her whole life.

So here they were now, with a town that was about to be destroyed and inevitable pain that Max would surely endure no matter what choice she made. Lives would be lost either way. It was just a matter of who's life would be lost--the entire town or her best friend?

"Max," Rachel said softly, wrapping her hands around Max's wrists. It wasn't until then that Max realized she was trembling. She felt like her legs were about to give out.

"Max, I can't make this choice for you." It was words Max knew Rachel was going to say, but that didn't stop the disappointment she felt. "I know what choice I would make, but you're not me. You do what you feel is right. I can tell you that no matter what choice you make...it'll be okay in the end."

Max blinked away the tears in her eyes and gave Rachel a small smile. She wasn't about to fall apart now.

"Will you be okay here?" She asked the girl.

"I'm moving on, Max. I can finally rest in peace now that Jefferson is dead. I just wanted to wait here so I could help you."

So many words Max wanted to say, but so little time. So she just settled for a "thank you, Rachel," though the words weren't nearly good enough after everything Rachel has done for her.

"You're welcome, Max." Rachel looked up at the lighthouse and then back at Max. "Now get going...And please tell Chloe how much I love her and how sorry I am about Frank and Jefferson...And tell Nathan I forgive him."

"I will," Max promised. Rachel gave her one last smile before turning away from her for good. She watched as Rachel began to walk down the path. In the blink of an eye, the other girl vanished and Max was alone.

 

* * *

 

  
"Okay, seriously, go grab the water bottle, Graham," Nathan commanded.

Warren started to move, but Chloe stopped him.

"She'll wake up," she snapped. "God, you guys are so-"

Max shot up, her eyes flying open and a gasp escaped her lips.

"Holy shit!" Warren cried, startled.

Chloe sprung into action immediately. She gently placed one hand on Max's shoulder and the other one on her face.

"Max, you're okay," she said, relief flooding her tone. "Thank God. Thank fucking God."

Max placed a hand over her pounding heart and took a deep breath. "How long have I been out for?"

"Too fuckin' long," Nathan answered. "You were worrying the fuck out of all of us, Caulfield." He ran a hand through his hair and let out a big sigh. "Don't ever fucking do that again."

"Sorry," Max mumbled.

He shrugged. "No big deal. I wasn't that worried."

_Okay, tough guy_ , she thought.

"So...What happened?" Warren asked.

Chloe glanced at him, annoyed. "You can ask her that later, Warren. We don't have time right now."

"No, you all need to hear this," Max said. She swung her legs around so they were on the ground and her back was resting against the bench.

Chloe sighed impatiently. "Fine. What happened?"

"I...I was basically in my own personal hell," Max told them. "I won't go into full details, because we don't have time, like Chloe said. But Rachel was there." She looked between Chloe and Nathan when she said this, watching the shocked expression on Chloe's face. Nathan's eyes widened a bit, but he was better at controlling himself.

"You saw Rachel?" Chloe whispered.

Max nodded.

"How?" Nathan asked. "What did she say? Why was she there?"

"To help me. She was the one who got me through it all. She saved my life and made sure I got to be here with you guys again." She looked at Chloe and smiled. "She told me to tell you that she loves you and she's sorry about Frank...and Jefferson. She never meant to hurt you, Chloe. Not in a million years."

Chloe nodded, tears in her eyes. "I know," she choked out.

"And she forgives you, Nathan," Max told him. "Everything that went down with her...She forgives you."

Nathan remained silent, but Max could see the pain and relief in his eyes. Like the huge weight on his shoulder was not quite gone, but it wasn't completely weighing him down anymore.

"Guys," Warren interrupted quietly. They looked at him questioningly and he nodded towards the tornado, which was getting closer and closer to the town by the minute.

Max stood up, slowly, and on shaky legs she walked to the edge of the cliff, staring at the tornado in disbelief.

"This is my storm," she said, voice cracking. "I caused this...I caused all of this. I changed fate and destiny so much that...I actually did alter the course of everything." She was shouting now. "And all I really created was just death and destruction!"

Chloe came up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing Max to look at her.

"Fuck all of that, okay?" she said, fiercely. "You were given a power...You didn't ask for it...and you saved me-"

"But look where that got her," Warren said, voice uncharacteristically hard. "Look at all the good it did."

Nathan looked up from the ground and he glared at Warren. "Chill out, Graham."

"Fuck you," Warren snapped back. "The whole fucking town is about to be destroyed, and you want me to calm down? Fuck!" He angrily kicked a rock and plopped down on the bench.

_Look at what you've done_ , a voice in Max's head snarled.

Chloe chose to ignore Warren's words. "Max...I know how shitty you must feel right now...but don't. You had no way of knowing this was gonna happen. You were trying to do the right thing. And you stopped me from dying multiple times. If you hadn't...I would be dead right now and Nathan would be in jail. You and I wouldn't have shared everything we did this past week. You and Nathan wouldn't have got together. So...some good did come out of this."

Max knew what Chloe was saying was the truth. Even though this storm was happening because of her powers, her powers were the reason why she and Chloe got to reunite and be together. It was why she and Nathan became so close. None of that would have happened if she hadn't saved Chloe's life that day in the bathroom

"Okay, so you're not the god damn Time Master," Chloe continued, placing both her hands on Max's shoulders, "but you're Maxine Caulfield...and you're amazing."

Max couldn't find the words to say. She looked out at the storm sadly, knowing what was coming. It was time to make her choice. She felt so fucking miserable in that moment, so much that she felt like she was going to be sick. How could it have all come to this? How could the decision that she considered to be the best decision she ever made, cause all this destruction and pain?

"Max, this is the only way," Chloe said, softly, handing Max the picture of the butterfly that was taken in the bathroom.

Max looked down at it and shook her head. "I feel like I took this shot a thousand years ago."

"It's a nice shot," Nathan said from behind her. She turned to look at him. He was standing next to Warren, hands in his pockets and his face blank of any emotion. "Chloe showed me."

Max looked back at it, hands starting to shake around it.

"You know what to do," Chloe said, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "We talked about it in the car."

_No_. "Chloe, I can't...I can't..."

"Yes, you can," Chloe insisted. "Max, so many people in this town deserve to live. My mother...she deserves so much more than to die by a storm in a fucking diner! Even my...my stepfather...deserves her alive. So many people here deserve to live way more than me."

"Don't say that..."

Nathan and Warren were standing with them now. There was a pained look on Warren's face that made Max sick to her stomach. Nathan was perfectly composed, which didn't make her feel any better.

_What do I do, you guys_? She asked them silently with her eyes. _Would you hate me if I chose Chloe over the town?_

"I don't have anything left here, Max," Nathan said with a smirk that wasn't arrogant or mocking like it usually was. It was just...sad. "There are plenty of people here who I don't think should have to die, but...I can live with whatever choice you make. Not gonna hate you for it or anything."

She looked at Warren.

He sighed. "Max, you already know what I think. But, you know, if you choose to let the town...I mean, I'm gonna stick by you either way. You're my best friend, and I can't imagine being in your position right now. I'll do whatever I can to make this easier for you."

There was nothing he could do, but Max was still grateful for the words.

"Thank you...both of you..." She sniffled, wiping the tears away.

Warren attempted to give her the best smile he could manage at that moment, and Nathan gave a small nod before turning to watch the storm.

"Max, I..." Chloe struggled to find the words. "Maybe this is my fate--our fate. Maybe it's my destiny to die." Max opened her mouth to protest, but Chloe shook her head at her. "No, Max, look at all the times I've died or nearly died around you. That has to mean something."

"Chloe..."

"Max, you finally came back to me this week, and you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years. Wherever I end up after this...in whatever reality...all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours. No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision."

Max looked at the three people she cared about most in this world. Two of her best friends and the guy she fell hard for. Warren and Chloe were looking at her, both waiting for her to make her choice. Chloe looked ill and Warren looked incredibly nervous and miserable. She could see that Nathan's fists were clenched tightly and he was shaking. But he wasn't looking at her. She knew that he couldn't face her right now. If he did, he would lose it.

It was obvious what the right choice here was. She should go back in time and let Chloe die. It pained her to even think that, but it was true. She would lose Chloe and Nathan, but at least everyone else would be alive.

She thought back to everything that's happened this past week.

Max hasn't been this happy in a long time. She's endured so much pain this week, but there was the good moments that she would remember for the rest of her life, memories she would keep close to her heart. The times she and Chloe screwed around, just being idiots and having fun while working together to find Rachel...And everything she went through with Nathan. How could she give that all up?

_I can't,_ she thought. _I can't do it. I can't_.

"Max, it's time," Chloe said gently, her voice stronger now.

Max gripped the picture in her hand. No. She may be the most selfish person on the planet, but she's made her choice. She would live with the consequences, but she wasn't going to sacrifice Chloe. A part of her hated herself for it, and she knew there would be some regrets, but none of that mattered right now.

"Not anymore," she said harshly.

Then she tore the picture in half.

She watched as the wind carried it away, feeling paralyzed, because she just sacrificed a whole fucking town. But she doesn't think she would change her decision if she could. And now what's done is done.

"Max...I will always be with you...Forever," Chloe murmured, coming to stand next to her.

"Bye bye Arcadia Bay," Max heard Nathan mutter from behind her. Then he was on the other side of her. His face was relaxed, maybe even a little bit relieved. Max was just thankful to see that there was no hatred or anger there.

_We'll do it all_  
Everything  
On our own

"I'm sorry," she found herself saying softly to Nathan.

He glanced at her. "For what?"

"For...You know..." She gestured out towards the storm.

Nathan didn't say anything, but he did take her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze.

_We don't need_  
Anything  
Or anyone

The four of them watched silently as the storm finally reached the town.

_If I lay here_  
If I just lay here  
Would you lay with me   
and just forget the world?

Chloe, trembling slightly, reached down to Max's other hand.

_Forget what we're told_  
Before we get too old  
Show me a garden that's   
bursting into life

Warren grabbed Chloe's other hand. They stayed like that, all holding hands, watching as the town they grew up in being destroyed right before their eyes. Everything was going to be gone soon. Everything.

And all because of one choice.

_I'm sorry,_ Max thought, _I'm so, so sorry._

_Let's waste time_  
Chasing cars  
Around our heads

"We're gonna be okay," Chloe said, trying to keep her voice strong. "Wherever we end up after this, we're gonna be fine."

_All that I am_  
All that I ever was  
Is here in your perfect eyes  
They're all I can see

"The four of us?" Warren asked. Max could hear the tears in his voice.

_I don't know where_  
Confused about how as well  
Just know that these things   
will never change for us at all

"Just the four of us," Max agreed. _I'm sorry._

_If I lay here_  
If I just lay here  
Would you lay with me  
and just forget the world?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to anyone who is disappointed with the ending of this chapter. If requested, I will write an alternate ending at some point. The reason I chose to sacrifice the town is because 1) I'm trash   
> 2) I have plans for these guys.
> 
> I hope no one is too angry with me and you all liked this chapter. 
> 
> Anyway, until next time! If everything goes well, I should have chapter 21 done by either next week or the week after. It depends on my free time and how long the chapter is. 
> 
> Also, if anyone is interested, you can follow me on Tumblr at jpbree1997. I also track this fic under Closerfic and fic:closer.
> 
> Love you all! <3


End file.
